PULPStories Tour: Robin Talley's LGBTQ* YA Recomendations

Today is my stop on the #PULPstories Tour, the blog tour for Robin Talley's latest novel, Pulp, which was published on 16th November! Robin is stopping by the blog with a guest post, recommending a number of LGBTQ* YA novels.

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. This story, about a 15-year-old Iranian-American boy on his first-ever trip to Iran where he quickly becomes close friends with a very intriguing local boy, might be my favorite read of 2018, and that’s saying a lot. Darius is smart, hilarious, and misunderstood by pretty much everyone around him, and I would happily read 50 Darius sequels if it meant I got to spend more time inside his head.

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Discussion: My Favourite Urban Fantasy Series

Until last year, I only thought there were two reactions to hype; where you think a book deserved the hype because you loved it so much, or where you think it didn't because you hated it. But then I discovered a third. One that I can only describe as a mix of disappointment and confusion. Not because a book was bad, but because I've read better.

I experienced feelings of disappointment, because although the books were good, as I've read better, I'm not sure they deserve all the hype they received, and also confusion because, why aren't the other books hyped? Why this one over them?

The books in question are The Monsters of Verity duology - This Savage Song and Our Dark Duet by V. E. Schwab. I really enjoyed them! They were exciting and dark, they dealt with moral questions, there was so much action and violence, and Schwab didn't shy away from hurting her characters. But I've also read books that were more exciting, that had more action and violence, where I actually cared more about the characters. And yet I'm not sure I know anyone who has read some of  - though not all, as you will see - the books I'm thinking of.

Perhaps most people just haven't read much urban fantasy? I consider The Monsters of Verity duology to be urban fantasy, even if they're set in a future American territory. So yeah, maybe readers haven't read many books in the same genre. On the off chance that that's the case, I thought I would recommend some of my favourites. I could recommend so many, and readers are in for such a treat - though they are, for the most part, adult.

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YA & NA Feminist Stories & Positive Female Role Models

This is not


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is is about favourite past topics for Top Ten Tuesday. Seeing as I haven't been taking part for very long, and don't have enough to talk about, I thought I would combine Top Ten Tuesday with something I want to look at. So it's not Top Ten Tuesday, but it is Tuesday, and I'm listing about ten or so (11) books. Call it what you will!
Anyway, I've recently been thinking about a few YA novels that tell feminist stories, and have been discussing and recommending them on Twitter. I thought it would be great to put together a list of those novels and others, and hopefully get more people picking them up.

Some of these books I read quite a number of years ago, some as far back as when I started blogging. So my reviews for those books won't be as long or as detailed as my current reviews, and are fairly amateurish, so I've also linked to Goodreads.


Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill - A novel that looks at body image, self-worth, and the worth of women in general in a dystopian patriachal society. I cannot stop raving about this book; if you haven't read it yet, you really need to.  My review

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger - This is a recent release, so I've not yet read it. About a dystopian future India where there are five boys to every girl, and girls are used as a commodity, their sole purpose to find suitable husbands and become caged wives.

Continue reading YA & NA Feminist Stories & Positive Female Role Models

Characters Abroad!

Characters Abroad

Not going on holiday this year? Travel with the help of a good book!
I recently finished This Is Not a Love Story by Keren David, which is set in Amsterdam, and it got me thinking about YA/NA books I have read of characters abroad. As Summer is just around the corner, I thought I'd share with you these books set in holiday destinations!

Florence, Italy

One Thing Stolen by Beth Kephart - Something is not right with Nadia Cara. She’s become a thief. She has secrets she can’t tell. And when she tries to speak, the words seem far away. In Florence, Italy, with her epicurean brother, professor father, and mother who helps at-risk teens, Nadia finds herself trapped by her own obsessions and following the trail of an elusive Italian boy whom no one but herself has seen. While her father researches a flood that nearly destroyed Florence in 1966, Nadia wonders if she herself can be rescued—or will she disappear?

Set against the backdrop of a glimmering city, One Thing Stolen is an exploration of obsession, art, and a rare neurological disorder. It is about language and beauty, imagining and knowing, and the deep salvation of love. From Goodreads.

I really enjoyed this book! Florence sounds so beautiful, and a wonderful place to explore, but it's also a really poignant story. My review.

Continue reading Characters Abroad!

Desperately Seeking Romance

Of the novel kind, that is.

I'm thinking of trying to dive in to more adult romance/"chick-lit" this year, however, I don't really know where to start, so I'm hoping you could recommend some titles to me.

I'm heading more towards the romance, but I don't want novels that are light and fluffy, I want ones that will have a profound affect on me - that will touch me, that will make me think, that will take my breath away, rather than just being sweet and entertaining. I don't mind crying, either. I want to be moved. Though I have no interest in recs for erotica or paranormal romance. I can do rom-coms, if they're still going to touch me.

In regards to "chick-lit", again, I want to be moved. But I'm not really looking for books to do with women and their relationship with their kids - grown up or otherwise. More like books to do with a woman's relationship with herself. That's going to mooooove.

ETA: This would be contemporary romance/"chick-lit". I'm not really a fan of historical.

So, do you know of any books that might be what I'm after? Please mention them in the comments below! Thank you! I'm thinking of setting myself a personal reading challenge, so I would like some books to go looking for. Cheers!

Get-a rec'ing! :)

Continue reading Desperately Seeking Romance

Further Reading

If you would like to read more LGBTQ YA, the following may be something you'd be interested in. All links go to Goodreads.

Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual:
Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George
A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner
Dance on My Grave by Aiden Chambers
Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle
David Inside Out by Lee Bantle
Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz
With or Without You by Brian Farrey
The Milkman's On His Way by David Rees
Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Wide Awake by David Levithan (plus many other books by David Levithan)
Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters (plus many other books by Julie Anne Peters)
Teenage  Rewrite by Brandon Williams
Freak Show by James St. James
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
Obscura Burning by Suzanne van Rooyen - recommeded by Lucy V. Morgan
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg - recommended by Charlie Morris
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - recommended by Cayce
Pages for You by Sylvia Brownrigg - recommended by Anonymous ("not strictly a YA novel but very YA-friendly - great coming of age story")
Stir-Fry by Emma Donoghue - recommended by Anonymous
Empress of the World by Sara Ryan - recommended by Julianne
Gives Light Series by Rose Christo - recommended by Aislinn

Transgender:
Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger
I am J by Cris Beam

Cross Dressing:
Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers

Various:
A + E 4ever by Ilike Merey
What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci

Non-Fiction:
The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing About Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Other Identities - edited by David Levithan and Billy Merrell

Continue reading Further Reading

Guest Post: 6 LGBT Young Adult Novels with a Twist by Erica Gillingham

Today, I'm honoured to have Erica Gillingham stop by my blog. Erica is a MPhil/Phd student at the University of Roehampton in Children’s Literature, researching romance in contemporary young adult fiction with lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender characters. Erica's here to recommend LGBT novels that differ from your normal novel.

6 LGBT Young Adult Novels with a Twist by Erica Gillingham

Who doesn’t love a great young adult novel with LGBT characters, right? The more I read, the more I love this field of literature. While I could easily share with you my ‘best picks’ list, some lovely people have already done a fine job of it here and here so I’m taking the somewhat quirky road instead: LGBT novels that play with the structure of the printed page. 

There may be a technical term for this kind of playfulness (please inform me if there is, the Google doesn’t know how to answer that question), but what I’m talking about is the extra stuff, the literary surprises that are so delightfully extraneous to the printed text that it makes you sit up and pay attention.

Continue reading Guest Post: 6 LGBT Young Adult Novels with a Twist by Erica Gillingham

Guest Post: Memory of Stella Matutina's Queer SFF YA Recommendations

Today, the lovely Memory of Stella Matutina is stopping by the blog to recommend some LGBTQ sci-fi and fantasy YA titles!

Queer speculative fiction is a topic near and dear to my heart. I believe it’s important for science fiction and fantasy (hereafter SFF) of all varieties to explore queer themes, but it becomes especially vital in fiction aimed at a younger audience. Queer YA helps combat heteronormativity. It breaks down the idea that anything other than cisgendered heterosexuality is abnormal.

General fiction often does this with coming out stories, which rejig the central paradigm by showing us a shift in both the protagonist’s self perception and their relationships with their peers. Queer SFF has its fair share of coming out stories, but I find it most interesting when it gives us a sphere where no paradigm shift is necessary. Secondary world and futuristic settings needn’t subscribe to common 21st century attitudes; they can take us to worlds where nobody ever needs to come out and/or stress over their gender identity because that sort of thing is no more noteworthy than, say, liking peas but not carrots, or choosing to go brunette. People can be themselves, straight up, without worrying how others will react to them (at least where their gender and sexuality are concerned).

But that’s all just so much pseudo-academic twaddle. Let’s talk about some awesome LGBTQ YA SFF (just to slam you with acronyms), plus a couple of adult titles oozing with crossover appeal.

Continue reading Guest Post: Memory of Stella Matutina's Queer SFF YA Recommendations

Your LGBTQ YA Recommendations

With my reading and planning for LGBTQ YA Month, one of the things I've discovered is just how few books there are out there. It is much easier to find YA novels with lesbian, gay, and sometimes bisexual characters than it is to find books with characters that identify with other aspects of the QUILTBAG spectrum, but even saying that, there are still very few of those.

At the end of every blog event I hold, I have a Further Reading post of the books I've discovered that fit the theme that I didn't get to read. But because these books are quite a minority in the YA world, I thought I would open this up to you guys. If you know of any obscure or not widely known LGBTQ YA novels - especially those with transgendered/transexual, intersexual, asexual. genderqueer/genderfluid or undecided characters, or characters identify as anything else, as well as lesbian, gay and bisexual characters - please share them here! I will add them to my list of books for Further Reading at the end of the month! Thank you!

Continue reading Your LGBTQ YA Recommendations

Recommended: Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble

Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble - Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his at high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real heart-pounding relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. But when Adam graduates and takes an off-Broadway job in New York, that certainty begins to flicker. Don't Let Me Go captures the giddiness of first love, whilst also presenting a timely discourse about bullying, bigotry and hate that is rife in schools today. From Amazon UK

This is not a review, this is a recommendation. I was sent this book to review for my LGBTQ YA Month next July, but having finished it, I can't wait until then to talk about it. Don't Let Me Go is absolutely amazing.

Brutally honest, in this novel, Trumble shows the harsh reality gay people can face. It covers all issues or problems imaginable; coming out, fighting for gay rights, and horrific homophobic attacks. We all know homophobia exists, but Don't Let Me Go is a real eye-opener, showing us exactly what people can go through. It made my blood run cold, it broke my heart, it made me feel physically sick, and more angry than you can possibly imagine.

Yet, it's also a love story, and one of the most beautiful I have ever read. This is a story that shows epic love can exist without the supernatural or paranormal. It's big, it's powerful, it's passionate, and it's just so amazing.

I don't want to say too much more, I'll save all the details for my review. I just had to tell you about this fantastic book. One of my top 3 favourite books I've ever read. I implore you to read it, it's absolutely incredible.



Published: 16th February 2012
Publisher: Kensington
J.H. Trumble's Website

Continue reading Recommended: Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble

Recommendations for LGBTQ YA Themed Month

I am going to be hosting another themed month next year after a break this year, and this time, it will be on LGBTQ YA novels!

I discovered recently that I have read only one, but had more than I realised in my TBR pile. I believe it's time for a little education and a way towards a little more understanding for me, so this is what I will be doing. However, the books I do have... there aren't enough for a whole month. So, I need some help.

I would like you to recommend YA LGBTQ novels (which will include all novels under the QUILTBAG acronym - Queer/Questioning, Unidentified, Intersex, Lesbian, Transgender, Bisexual, Asexual, and Gay/Genderqueer) that you think are pretty good - preferably ones that are published in the UK, so it'll be easier for me to get a hold of.

I am particularly looking for recommendations for the bisexual, transgender and intersex novels, as there doesn't seem to be too many going about.

If you have any ideas, please recommend them to me on Goodreads (link goes direct to my recommendation request), where I am create a shelf for these novels so I can find them easily. Thanks!

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Recommendations for Teenage Flicks Book Club Members

The lovely Luisa Plaja is, as well as author of Split by a Kiss, Extreme Kissing, and soon to be released Swapped by a Kiss (April 2010), an assistant of a teen book club, Teenage Flicks in Newton Abbot, in Devon. Well, Luisa is recommending various YA sites to the member today, and because she is so lovely, my blog happens to be one of them!

Hello to all Teenage Flicks members, and welcome to Once Upon a Bookcase! I thought, seeing as you'll be popping over today, that I would give you a few recommendations of books I've read that you might like! So here they are, a bit of a range...

Prophecy of the Sistser by Michelle Zink - This is the story of sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe's quest to discover her role and her twin sister's in a powerful prophecy that has affected twin sisters for generations. But nothing can prepare her for what she discovers. A brilliant historical fantasy. My review.

Good Girls by Laura Ruby - Audrey is a good girl; but when someone takes a photo of her with Luke DeSalvio, the hottest guy at school, doing somehtin not so "good", her life gets turned upside down. A brilliant, funny, and honest look at humiliation and a first sexual relationship. Note: It's a little graphic. My review.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Lissa is a Moroi, mortal vampire, princess, and her best friend Rose is a Dhampir, half-vampire, half-human, and Lissa's protector. Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vlandimir's - but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Rose and Lissa must navigate through the dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever. An exciting and action packed vampire paranormal! My review.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - When Patch turns up at school, Nora can't believe how rude and arrogant he is, yet can't help but find herself attracted to him. Then a series of unexplained events take place, which lead Nora to suspect Patch. Nora is determined to find out, but the answers could be more than she bargained for. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this thrilling, sexy paranormal! My review.

I'm aware there is at least one boy in the book club, and so the following recommendations are with you in mind, though girls should like them too (I did!):

Doing It by Melvin Burgess - Doing It follows three friends, Dino, Jonathan and Ben, and thier experiences with sex for the first time. It's a hilarious, but very honest look into what goes on in boys heads regarding the opposite sex. Note: It is a bit on the graphic side. My review.

When I Was Joe by Keren David - Ty is a teenager who is a witness to murder, and after threats to his family, he's put into the Witness Protection program. This book is a great eye opener into the realities of knife crime, with great insight to what the Witness Protection program involves. Great action and emotion! My review.

Slam by Nick Hornby - Sam's life is just starting to go the way he'd like - until one tiny slip up changes everything Sam knows. His girlfriend falls pregnant, and this kid has to face adult responsibilities, but is he up to it? A brilliant book with great look at the male perspective of teenage pregnancy. My review.

Monster Republic: The Divinity Project by Ben Horton - An explosion in a nuclear power plant. Kids patched up with scavenged body parts and bionic implants. A growing army of superhuman soldiers programmed for destruction. Monster Republic is awesome thrill-per-mintute! Chock full of action and danger, fans of the Terminator and X-Men movies will love it! My review. Also, check out this fantastic book trailer.

Hope some of the books are your cup of tea, and that you check them out! If not, I may review a few books in future you might like, so check back! ;)

Continue reading Recommendations for Teenage Flicks Book Club Members