July 2013 ~ Once Upon a Bookcase

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.

contemporary fantasy, david levithan, every day, every day duology, genderfluid, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, YA

Review: Every Day by David Levithan

Every Day by David Levithan - Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day. From Amazon UK

Monday 29 July 2013

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Guest Post: Let's Talk About Lesbian Sex, Baby by B.J. Epstein

Today, I have a fantastic post for you from B.J. Epstein, author of non-fiction book, Are the Kids All Right? about children's and YA LGBTQ fiction, which will be published in October 2013. B.J. is here to discuss the sexual content, or lack there of, in lesbian YA novels.

Let’s Talk About Lesbian Sex, Baby by B.J. Epstein

Let’s talk about lesbian sex, baby.

Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be.

Let’s talk about—

Actually, when it comes to lesbian sex in young adult novels, it’s mostly bad things.

What I have found is that if you compare how gay males and their sex lives are portrayed in YA books to how gay females and their sex lives are portrayed, the women come off looking incompetent, scared, and distinctly lacking in passion. It’s as though society is so scared of female sexuality in general that lesbian sexuality in particular is doubly worrying, and authors and publishers just don’t feel comfortable producing books that feature it.

contemporary, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, lili wilkinson, pink, review, YA

Review: Pink by Lili Wilkinson

Pink by Lili Wilkinson (review copy) - The pink jumper was glowing in my grey bedroom like a tiny bit of Dorothy's Oz in boring black-and-white Kansas. Pink was for girls.

Ava Simpson is trying on a whole new image. Stripping the black dye from her hair, leaving her uber-cool girlfriend, Chloe, behind.

Ava is quickly taken under the wing of perky, popular Alexis who insists that: a) she's a perfect match for handsome Ethan; and b) she absolutely must audition for the school musical.

But while she's busy trying to fit in - with Chloe, with Alexis and her Pastel friends, even with the misfits in the stage crew - Ava fails to notice that her shiny reinvented life is far more fragile than she imagined. From Amazon UK

Sunday 28 July 2013

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Guest Post: Inclusive Minds by Alexandra Strick and Beth Cox

Today, I'm honoured to have Alexandra Strick and Beth Cox of Inclusive Minds to talk about their mission to have more diversity in children's books.

Inclusive Minds by Alexandra Strick and Beth Cox

We’re delighted to have been asked by Once Upon a Bookcase to be involved in the brilliant LGBTQ YA Month activity. We thought we’d use our guest blog opportunity to briefly explain the work of Inclusive Minds.

Inclusive Minds stemmed from our mutual concern that children’s books simply do not reflect society as it really is. We had both spent many years lamenting the absence of more diverse and inclusive books and worked together on several projects around disability (and then leading into wider diversity issues), before we finally took the plunge and established the Inclusive Minds collective. The idea behind it is simply to bring together all those with an interest in making children’s literature more diverse and inclusive, and seek out ways to work together on relevant projects and events.

contemporary, historical, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, linda newberry, review, the shell house, YA

Review: The Shell House by Linda Newberry

The Shell House by Linda Newberry (review copy) - The Shell House is a beautifully written and sensitive portrayal of love, sexuality and spirituality over two generations. Greg's casual interest in the history of a ruined mansion becomes more personal as he slowly discovers the tragic events that overwhelmed its last inhabitants. Set against a background of the modern day and the First World War, Greg's contemporary beliefs become intertwined with those of Edmund, a foot soldier whose confusion about his sexuality and identity mirrors Greg's own feelings of insecurity. This is a complex and thought-provoking book, written with elegance and subtlety. It will change the way you think. From Amazon UK

When I was first sent this to review, I wasn't sure if it would be my cup of tea. As you may have read, I'm generally not a fan of historical novels, so that aspect didn't appeal to me, especially as it was about the First World War. And I wasn't too sure about Greg's fascination with the house either. The story just didn't much appeal to me. I decided to give it a go anyway. I'm so glad I did, it's awesome!

A budding photographer, Greg takes an interest in the dilapidated stately home Graveney Hall, seeing beauty where others see ruin. When he looks more into the history of the house and it's destruction, he discovers Edmund Pearson, the heir to the home, died mysteriously around the same time the house was destroyed in a fire. Edmund Pearson was a soldier in the First World War, and Greg is determined to find out what happened to him. As we learn more about Edmund's story, similarities between his and Greg's lives are brought to light; for neither boy lives a life without difficulty.

The Shell House is a dual narrative, going back and forth in time the roughly present day and First World War, following the lives of Greg and Edmund. Greg is a sixth former with an interest in photography who finds a new friend in Faith, the daughter of a Friend of Graveney Hall who are doing the home up, and discovers he's seeing his friend Jordan in a new light. Twenty one-year-old Edmund is fighting in the First World War, where he met Alex, the man who opened his eyes to what love is. He is struggling to work out how to live the life he wants, with Alex, when he is expected to come home, take over Graveney Hall, marry and produce a new heir. Edmund wants a life of love, but has been born into a life of responsibility.

Greg is a photographer, Edmund is a poet. So each chapter, depending on who's it is, is opened with a description of a photo - a photo Greg took, a photo that Greg would have taken if he had his camera on him, or a photo he's seen - or a poem written by Edmund. The photos and poems relate to what happens in each chapter, and they give you a fantastic insight into the personality and feelings of each character.

Although their stories are very different, both characters experience similar things. There are questions of sexuality and religion, which also plays a huge part in the story, for both characters. Edmund was a believer who lost his faith, Greg was an atheist who starts to question. I find it interesting how differently Edmund and Greg view their sexuality. Edmund lives in a time where homosexuality is completely unacceptable but has no issues with his sexuality and is happy in his love for Alex.

'"I'm not really joking," he said,turning his head towards Alex. 'I mean it. I can't imagine a future without you.'Alex looked down at him and said softly, "Nor I".At moments like this, Edmund had the sense of everything settling into place. This, then, was love - not love as his father wanted it, all tied up with property and respectability and procreation. This was love that demanded nothing but itself.' (p93)

Where Greg, on the other hand, lives in a time where people are more accepting (though, granted, not as accepting as we could be) but has such difficulty coming to terms with and admitting the things he's feeling.

'Into his mind, vivid and disturbing, slipped the moment yesterday morning in the changing room when Jordan had turned and looked at him. It had only taken an instant, but there had been a sort of connection. An exchange, an unspoken understanding. He had stared openly at Jordan as he stood there naked; he had gazed for too long, and Jordan had seen and not minded. Jordan's glance had seemed to say: I know. It's all right.
God, what am I thinking? Is he - am I - does he think - do I--' (p176)

'Greg walked back slowly, kicking at leaves, thinking about Jordan. I am not gay, he told himself. Not even remotely. Just because I--Just because he's always on my mind. Just because I'd rather be with him than with anyone else. Just because it's enough to be together, not even talking. Just because he obviously likes me the same way.Again, Greg thought of that glance, of what had seemed like a current running between them. But what had Jordan actually said? Hi. Ready in a couple of minutes, if you don't mind hanging on. Definitely not the words of someone who had just experienced a blinding revelation. Male bonding, Greg decided, that's all.' (p178)

That's not to say Edmund doesn't have his own issues regarding his sexuality. His problems are more to do with outsiders' views and his faith.

'And Edmund, unable to reconcile his Church of England upbringing with what he had discovered about his sexual leanings, had been glad to discard God. Now, though, in his desperation, he yearned for the comfort of a father-figure who would listen and heed and intervene. He closed his eyes and tried to pray as he had never prayed before...Alex's suffering was a punishment for his homosexuality. And his own punishment was this: to be forced to stand by, helplessly, while his lover passed through torment and out of his reach.' (p115-156)

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is an abomination!" the Reverend Tillety quoted fiercely. "So it is written in the Book of Leviticus. And what is wrong in God's eyes cannot be made to seem right or justifiable, whatever the situation. I will not listen while you make excuses for your sin - if it is repulsive to me, imagine how much more repulsive it is to the Lord! You must realize, man, that not only is it morally repugnant, it is also a crime in the eyes of the law! Have you no shame?"' (p304-305)

These two passages show something I find really difficult to deal with. I myself am an atheist, but have nothing against religion and love people with strong faith. As I've been reading these books for LGBTQ YA Month, I've found myself worrying about young religious teens who are questioning their sexuality, and don't know how to reconcile what they feel with what they believe. I genuinely worry, because, god, what a position to be in! The thoughts they may be thinking! It hearts my heart, it really does. And then there are the religious people who treat gay people absolutely disgustingly, and they make me so angry! I may disagree with the views, but everyone has a right to their own opinion. However, no-one has the right to force their opinions and beliefs on another, whether it be preaching at me as an atheist, or scornfully telling an LGBTQ person that the way they live their life is wrong. It makes my blood boil. But back to the book...

There comes a point when conversations have to be had, and Greg can't keep his confusion to himself. Greg is flawed, he does some downright awful things at times, but it comes from fear and uncertainty, and I just wanted to give him a hug. Especially when Jordan comes out to him, and they have this conversation.

'"You didn't answer just now when I asked if you minded.""No. No, I don't mind. But if you're asking if I'm gay--"Jordan nodded, waiting.Greg shook his head. "I've never thought so. But it's doing my head in. I mean I fancy girls. I don't know any more - it's weird, all this--""All this what? What's doing your head in?""This is. You are. I think about you all the time." Greg's mouth wrenched itself into a grimacing smile; he shook his head, looking down at his clasped hands."What's funny?""Can't believe what I just said."' (p210-211)

The Shell House discusses faith and spirituality as much as it does sexuality. For the most part, despite what what I quote above, it's a separate discussion to what religion says about sexuality, it's more a discussion about whether God exists or not. There are so many different views shared, it's just so fascinating. Greg uses scientific advances and discoveries as reasons for there not being a God, but there are also thought out, believable arguments for the non-existence of God in Edmund's time, too, when scientific advancement is yet to come into play. It's less about religion, and more about belief, what each character believes to be true. Both sides of the argument are represented so well, I couldn't tell you whether Newberry is religious or not.

The Shell House is beautifully written. Some passages are just so deliciously put together, you want to read them out loud. Sometimes poetic, always gorgeous. The imagery is beautiful, and there are certain ideas the characters have, on love, on sex, on words, that really resonated with me because they are so like my own, but expressed in a way I would never have been able to.I have literally been copying out sections for myself, to read whenever I wish. If I was going to give this book one criticism, despite the beautiful language, Greg and Jordan used language that is a little old fashioned for present day; I don't hear teens saying "Blast!", "You little oik!", or "Damnation!" There is some swearing in the book, so it's not as if they're used instead of swear words. It just seemed a little strange and jarring.

The Shell House is an amazing story, about people, about a house, about love, sexuality and faith. A beautiful, wonderful story, and one I would highly recommend!

Thank you to RHCP for the review copy.

Published: 4th September 2003
Publisher: Red Fox Definitions
Buy on Amazon US
Linda Newberry's Website

Saturday 27 July 2013

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LGBTQ Round-Up - Articles and Posts

When I was doing my research for the Month, there were several posts and articles I came across that I thought you guys might be interested in.

LGBTQ Labels in the News:

Generation LGBTQIA
An NY Time article about the various identities/labels there are and whether the acronym should be made longer, and how university LGBT groups are primarily "LGB" and don't seem to be as inclusive for other identities.

Drawing the Line on LGBT Labels
A Temple News article that questions the importance/relevance of certain labels, and label-lessness. Suggests "queer" as a catch-all umbrella term. '...The idea is that we as a society are uncovering our sexual repression and realizing we don’t have to be so rigid in how we think of our sexuality and how it relates to the people with whom we’re intimate.'

alexandra diaz, contemporary, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, of all the stupid things, review, YA

Review: Of All the Stupid Things by Alexendra Diaz

Of All the Stupid Things by Alexendra Diaz (review copy) - When a rumor starts circulating that Tara's boyfriend Brent has been sleeping with one of the guy cheerleaders, the innuendo doesn't just hurt Tara. It marks the beginning of the end for an inseparable trio of friends. Tara's training for a marathon, but also running from her fear of abandonment after being deserted by her father. Whitney Blaire seems to have everything, but an empty mansion and absentee parents leave this beauty to look for meaning in all the wrong places. And Pinkie has a compulsive need to mother everyone to make up for the mom she's never stopped missing. This friendship that promised to last forever is starting to break under the pressure of the girls' differences.

And then new-girl Riley arrives in school with her long black hair, athletic body, and her blasé attitude, and suddenly Tara starts to feel things she's never felt before for a girl--and to reassess her feelings about Brent and what he may/may not have done. Is Tara gay--or does she just love Riley? And can her deepest friendships survive when all of the rules have changed? From Amazon UK

Friday 26 July 2013

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Cover Reveal: Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

15:00 Jo No comments

Today, I have something special for you! Thanks to Brigid Kemmerer, I'm taking part in the cover reveal for Secret, the fourth book in the Elemental series! Secret, which will be released on 28th January, continues the story line in the Elemental novella, Breathless, where Nick is forced to confront his sexuality, which Brigid discussed earlier in the month. And now we have a cover!

Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

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Discussion: We Need More than Just LGBTQ YA Novels

There's something I've been thinking as I've been doing my research and reading for the Month. How little I understand certain LGBTQ identifties (i.e. genderqueer and asexual). This is not down to the fault of authors, that the books I've been reading having done a good enough job, but more that it's going to take more than one or two books on a particular indentity for me to fully get what they are. I have a basis of an idea on them, but I still have questions and things I'm not sure of. Sure, you can say there need to be more books written with these characters, and I'd agree with you, but I think we need more than that.

asexual, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, quicksilver, r j anderson, review, sci-fi, YA

Review: Quicksilver by R. J. Anderson

Quicksilver by R. J. Anderson - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the first in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.

Also, I cannot discuss the LGBTQ themes within this story without spoiling it, so, again, do not read any further if you don't want this book spoilt for you.

Once I was a girl who was special.
Now I am extraordinary.
And they will never stop hunting me.

The compelling follow-up to the bestselling ULTRAVIOLET, this psychological thriller will take your breath away... From Amazon UK

Thursday 25 July 2013

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Guest Post: Terry Trueman on 7 Days on the Hot Corner

Today, YA author Terry Trueman is stopping by the blog to talk about his LGBTQ YA novel, 7 Days at the Hot Corner.

My fifth novel, 7 DAYS AT THE HOT CORNER (7D), published in 2005, tells the story of a homophobic 3rd baseman on a high school baseball team and his friendship, since the 2nd grade, with his best friend who has recently been booted out of his parents' home . . . for being gay. Hopefully we have come far enough since 2005 when I published this story to where the prevalence of such occurrences is much less. But I'd submit that gay kids in some families, in some communities still face this kind of fear and intimidation and prejudice. Things have changed a lot since 2005, but we're not finished yet. We have work left to do.

confessions of a teenage hermaphrodite, contemporary, didn't finish, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, lianne simon, review, YA

Didn't Finish: Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite by Lianne Simon

Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite by Lianne Simon (review copy) - Jamie was born with a testis, an ovary, and a pixie face. He can be a boy after minor surgery and a few years on testosterone. Well, that’s what his parents always say, but he sees an elfin princess in the mirror. To become the man his parents expect, Jamie must leave behind a little girl’s hopes and dreams. At sixteen, the four-foot-eleven soprano goes from home school to a boys’ dorm at college. The elfin princess can live in the books Jameson reads and nobody has to find out he isn’t like other boys. When a medical student tells Jamie that he should have been raised female, Jamie sets out on a perilous journey to adulthood. The elfin princess can thrive, but will she risk losing her family and her education for a boy who may desert her, or a toddler she may never be allowed to adopt? From Amazon UK

Wednesday 24 July 2013

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Review: Skim by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

15:00 Jo No comments

Skim by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki - After a boy at school takes his own life, teen-witch Skim's fragile world seems to topple and turn upside down too. In witty, moving and painfully honest diary entries Skim confides the frenzy of grief that surrounds her, while deep down she struggles with her own loneliness and the secret inner stirrings she feels when falling in love for the first time. From Amazon UK

Trigger Warning: This book features suicide.

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Interview with Ilike Merey

12:00 Jo 1 comment

I am so excited to be interviewing Ilike Merey, the awesome artist and author behind A + E 4ever, today! His answers are just brilliant, and it's such a great interview!

How did you come up with the idea for A + E 4ever?

A few years ago, I was working on a couple of novellas, exploring different love situations through different ages and places in life. The overarching theme of the stories was alienation and obsession—‘a + e 4ever’ was the story expressing what I called ‘metalove’ (or love that was essentially un-label-able); the story of a teenage boy with a beautiful girl’s face and the tough girl with a vulnerable boy’s heart who loved him too much.

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Review: A + E 4ever by Ilike Merey

A + E 4ever by Ilike Merey - Asher Machnik is a teenage boy cursed with a beautiful androgynous face. Guys punch him, girls slag him and by high school he's developed an intense fear of being touched. Art remains his only escape from an otherwise emotionally empty life. Eulalie Mason is the lonely, tough-talking dyke from school who befriends Ash. The only one to see and accept all of his sides as a loner, a fellow artist and a best friend, she's starting to wonder if ash is ever going to see all of her.... a + e 4EVER is a graphic novel set in that ambiguous crossroads where love and friendship, boy and girl, straight and gay meet. It goes where few books have ventured, into genderqueer life, where affections aren't black and white. From Amazon UK

Trigger Warning: This book features sexual assault and bullying.

Tuesday 23 July 2013

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Guest Post: Steven dos Santos on The Culling

I am so happy to share with you today a guest post from Steven dos Santos, YA author of the dystopian Torch Keeper series! Steven is stopping by today to discuss the sexuality in his debut novel, The Culling.

As Gay Pride celebrations take place around the globe, it’s inspiring and motivating to see the great strides the LGBTQ community and its allies continue to make in the world. More and more countries are recognizing marriage equality and taking measures to ensure that all their citizens are treated with the same dignity and respect we all deserve. In the United States, where I’m from, the number of states moving forward with marriage equality is steadily increasing, and, with Supreme Court decisions soon to be decided (or already decided by the time this is posted), the balance could forever tip in favor of equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation. It is truly an exciting time to live in, and I consider myself so fortunate to have my debut novel, THE CULLING, released during such a period of increased acceptance, even after all the challenges I faced in trying to find a mainstream publisher that was interested in publishing a dark, science-fiction novel with a gay male protagonist.

dystopia, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, netgalley, review, steven dos santos, the culling, YA

Review: The Culling by Steven dos Santos

The Culling by Steven dos Santos (eGalley) - Lucian Lucky Spark has been recruited for training by the totalitarian government known as the Establishment. According to Establishment rules, if a recruit fails any level of the violent training competitions, a family member is brutally killed ...and the recruit has to choose which one. As the five recruits form uneasy alliances in the hellish wasteland that is the training ground, an undeniable attraction develops between Lucky and the rebellious Digory Tycho. But the rules of the training ensure that only one will survive - the strongest recruits receive accolades, wealth, and power while the weakest receive death. With Cole-Lucky's four-year-old brother-being held as incentive, Lucky must marshal all his skills and use his wits to keep himself alive, no matter what the cost. From Amazon UK

Monday 22 July 2013

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Discussion: How Do We Convince Publishers/Agents We Want LGBTQ YA Novels?

15:00 Jo No comments

So there's something I want to discuss. Publishers thinking LGBTQ YA won't sell. In earlier's guest post, B.R. Collins mentioned how her publisher requested that she change the same-sex relationship to a "passionate friendship". Earlier in the month, Jane Eagland talked about her book Whisper My Name where she removed the same-sex relationship at her editor's request. These aren't the first ones we've heard about either; we all know about Jessica Verday's problem with being requested that the same sex couple in a short story for an anthology was changed and ended up refusing to contribute. There were a lot of responses and some articles about it. And there are others. Do a Google search, you'll find them. Ok, so Non Pratt of Catnip Publishing mentioned earlier in the month that sometimes editors may request the change of sexuality of a character whatever their original sexuality (i.e. gay to straight or straight to gay) if it makes the story more believable. But there is the idea from some publishers that readers simply won't buy books that have LGBTQ characters in.

We need to change this.

The only thing is, how? How do we really let them know that we want these books? Would comments on a post like this, tweeted out to the world and to publishers be enough? An image on Pinterest that we try and get our followers to repin? Should there be a petition? What can we readers do to make sure publishers and agents know we want LGBTQ YA novels? I'm serious, because I want to do something! You would have thought hearing about what happened with Jessica Verday and the response to that would have been enough, but obviously it wasn't. I'm not foolish enough to think that simply running a month about LGBTQ YA is going to do it. There's got to be something more, something we can all do and all get involved in, that will make publishers and agents take notice. I just don't know what the best move is.

Your thoughts, people?

b r collins, guest post, homophobia, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, the traitor game

Guest Post: B.R. Collins on Homophobia in The Traitor Game

Stopping by today is the awesome B.R. Collins, to talk about her novel The Traitor Game and homophobia.

After I’d written The Traitor Game, it occurred to me that it might be out of date. I wrote it when I was twenty-four, remembering what life was like when I was fourteen – and because of that, there were things that may now seem quaint and outdated. One of the reviews, for example, commented on the fact that the boys create their world on paper and not on a computer. Some of the language and other things might be a bit old too. (I guess I need a teenager to tell me, really. Comments on a postcard welcome. Oh no, wait. Email. Not sure I’ll ever get the hang of this.)

b r collins, contemporary, high fantasy, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, the traitor game, YA

Review: The Traitor Game by B. R. Collins

The Traitor Game by B. R. Collins (review copy) - WARNING! I cannot discuss the LGBTQ themes in this book without soiling certain aspects of it. Read no further if you're planning on reading this book and don't want it spoilt for you.

There was a folded bit of A4 paper wedged into the locker. It said MICHAEL THOMPSON. Michael slid it out, and flipped it open. It said I KNOW WHERE ARCASTER IS. That was when the bottom dropped out of everything.

Michael and Francis are best friends at school, drawn together by their common secret - a complete obsession with creating, crafting, adding to and poring over their joint fantasy world, Evgard. Their friendship is put to the severest test when Michael, thinking that Francis has betrayed their world, takes the cold, deliberate decision not to help Francis when Francis is the victim of a brutal attack. Michael then has to see the consequences of his mistake, and confront his own weaknesses. This absolutely compelling charting of the boys' friendship is reflected in the fantasy world, as the fantasy characters and their actions are a clear mirror of the boys' own actions in the real world. From Amazon UK

Sunday 21 July 2013

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Guest Review: Charlie Morris on Hollow Pike by James Dawson

Today, awesomely, I have a guest review to share with you from Charlie Morris of Charlie in a Book. Charlie is and indie bookseller at The Book House, and is studying for her MA as an Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies student, where her MA major project is a marketing plan for an LGBTQ inclusive young adult fiction book. For LGBTQ YA Month, Charlie is reviewing Hollow Pike by James Dawson, with a focus on the LGBTQ elements.

Hollow Pike by James Dawson

Hollow Pike is a dark mystery story which follows a coven of friends, Lis, Kitty, Delilah and Jack, as they deal with horrific visions, murder and rumours of witchcraft. It’s like Mean Girls meets nineties teen horror film The Craft. It also casually includes a lesbian couple and a questioning boy among the core characters, making it one of few young adult genre fiction books published in the UK to do so.

ash, fairy tale retelling, high fantasy, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, malinda lo, review, YA

Review: Ash by Malinda Lo

09:00 Jo 4 comments

Ash by Malinda Lo - In the wake of her father’s death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash’s capacity for love—and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief. From Goodreads

Saturday 20 July 2013

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Guest Post: Jane Eagland on Changing the Sexuality of Characters on Editor's Request

I am honoured to have Jane Eagland back here on the blog for Once Upon a Bookcase. Back in 2009, Jane wrote guest post for Sex in Teen Lit Month regarding sex in her debut novel Wildthorn (liked below) which I have reviewed earlier today. Today, she's back to write about something she mentioned in that post, how her editor wanted her to change the sexuality of a character in her next book, Whisper My Name.

Jane Eagland

In my first novel Wildthorn, set in 1876, the heroine, Louisa, falls in love with another girl. This is not the main thread of the plot—the story is centred on Louisa’s incarceration in a lunatic asylum and the question of who has done this and why. As I explained for Sex in Teen Lit Month, the decision about Louisa’s sexuality didn’t come from any desire to tackle an ‘issue’ or make a point, it just seemed to arise quite naturally from exploring Louisa’s character—it was who she was.

In my second novel, Whisper My Name, the main character, Meriel, has a close relationship with another girl. Again it seemed natural that this relationship might develop and become more than a friendship, but my editor wasn’t keen. The reason she gave was that it would make this story too similar to Wildthorn.

historical, jane eagland, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, wildthorn, YA

Review: Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland - Seventeen-year-old Louisa Cosgrove longs to break free from her respectable life as a Victorian doctor's daughter. But her dreams become a nightmare when Louisa is sent to Wildthorn Hall: labelled a lunatic, deprived of her liberty and even her real name. As she unravels the betrayals that led to her incarceration, she realizes there are many kinds of prison. She must be honest with herself - and others - in order to be set free. And love may be the key... From Amazon UK

Friday 19 July 2013

emily m danforth, interview, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, the miseducation of cameron post

Interview with Emily M. Danforth

12:00 Jo 2 comments

I am absolutely thrilled to be interviewing YA author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Emily M. Danforth, today! Fantastic answers!

How did you come up with the idea for The Miseducation of Cameron Post?

There were actually many ideas that propelled and shaped this novel during the years that I was writing it. I don’t think I can pin the whole book down to one idea or a-ha moment. I didn’t say to myself one day, or even one week, “Well this is the big idea, this is the story I have to tell.” This novel is really a collection of disparate ideas working, I hope, in chorus. It was my first novel, and so there was just so much I wanted to “get at” with it. I knew, early on, that I wanted to write a great big coming-of-age story that spanned several years of a character’s adolescent life, and I also knew, early on, that this main character would be gay—that part of the novel would be about her burgeoning queer sexuality. In addition, I knew that I’d set at least part of the story in eastern Montana, where I grew up, because that landscape just has a way of seeping into you, and I wanted to do that landscape, that place, justice, in a novel. I also figured out, pretty quickly, that the book would be a voice-driven first person novel, which told me a lot about how to write it, how to approach the material. But other aspects of the novel came much later, after lots of starts and stops and dead-ends. I was several months into working on it before I realized that Cam would be sent to conversion (or reparative) therapy. I made that choice after I learned about Zach Stark, a sixteen-year-old from Tennessee whose parents sent him to a conversion therapy summer camp (this caught the attention of the national media after Zach Stark posted about this on his then-myspace page). It was that story that got me to spend months researching conversion therapy, and all of that research shaped so much of what ended up in the novel.

contemporary, emily m danforth, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, the miseducation of cameron post, YA

Review: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth - When Cameron Post's parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they'll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl. But that relief doesn't last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both. Then Coley Tasylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to fix her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self even if she's not exactly sure who that is. The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules. From Amazon UK

Thursday 18 July 2013

grl2grl, interview, julie anne peters, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, luna

Interview with Julie Anne Peters

Today, I'm honoured to have YA author Julie Anne Peters stopping by my blog for LGBTQ YA Month to discuss her novel Luna, and a few other of her books.

How did you come up with the idea for Luna?

One early morning, at 3:00 a.m., I had a visitation. She was a girl, sixteen or so, with shoulder-length blonde hair and bangs. Characters don’t usually come to me so vividly or fully formed. She said, “Write about me.”

I said, “No. Go away, whoever you are. You’re freaking me out.” I don’t believe in ghosts or spirits.

She was back the next night. She said, “Write about me.”

“No,” I told her. But since you’re here, who are you?”

She replied, “I’m Luna.”

contemporary, julie anne peters, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, luna, review, YA

Review: Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Luna by Julie Anne Peters - In Peters's critically acclaimed novel, she explores another neglected but important issue: the inspirational story of a transgendered teen. Luna confronts the mystery, the confusion and the struggles of gender identity in this profound, heartbreaking, yet ultimately heartening story. Through the eyes of his sixteen-year-old sister Regan, struggling with her own adolescence, we witness Liam resolve to stop hiding in his basement bedroom, and become Luna to the outside world.

This groundbreaking novel paves the way towards understanding the demands put upon a transgender and challenges us all to embrace our identities. From Amazon UK

Wednesday 17 July 2013

annabel, interview, kathleen winter, lgbtq, lgbtq crossover, lgbtq ya month

Interview with Kathleen Winter

I am super excited to have Kathleen Winter stop by my blog today to answer some questions for LGBTQ YA Month about her novel Annabel, my review of which can be read here.

How did you come up with the idea for Annabel?

A friend told me the true story of an intersex child born in a remote place. I thought about it for a long time, trying to imagine what that must have involved, for the child growing up and for the family and the village. I experimented with these thoughts by writing a short story, which later became the novel.

Why did you decide to write about intersexuality? Was it important to you to write about this subject?

I have long been interested in secrets, in underground streams, and in rivers of truth that flow beneath and around the so-called agreed upon reality mirrored in popular culture. I experienced a lot of gender tension in my own youth, and have always been interested in what comprises maleness or femaleness in the collective and the individual mind. These strains came together in my exploration of Wayne/Annabel's life.

adult, annabel, contemporary, crossover, intersex, kathleen winter, lgbtq, lgbtq crossover, lgbtq ya month, literary fiction, review

Review: Annabel by Kathleen Winter

Annabel by Kathleen Winter - In 1968, in a remote part of Canada, a mysterious child is born: a baby who appears to be neither fully boy nor girl, but both at once. Only three people share the secret - the baby's parents and a trusted neighbour. Together the adults make a difficult decision: to go through surgery and raise the child as a boy named Wayne.

But as Wayne grows up within the hyper-male hunting culture of his father, his shadow-self - a girl he thinks of as 'Annabel' - is never entirely extinguished, and indeed is secretly nurtured by the women in his life. As Wayne approaches adulthood, and its emotional and physical demands, the woman inside him begins to cry out. The changes that follow are momentous not just for him, but for the three adults that have guarded his secret. From Amazon UK

Tuesday 16 July 2013

book recommendations, guest post, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, stella matutina

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.

francesca lia block, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, urban fantasy, weetzie bat, YA

Review: Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block - This could be a book about cheap cheese and bean burritos, slinkster dogs, lanky lizards and rubber chickens ...Or strawberry sundaes with marshmallow toppings, surfing, stage-diving and sleeping on the beach ...It could even be a book about magic. But what it's definitely about is Weetzie Bat, her best friend Dirk and their search across L.A. for the most dangerous angel of all ...true love. From Amazon UK

Monday 15 July 2013

guest post, hushed, kelley york, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, stereotypes, suicide watch

Guest Post: Kelley York on Stereotypes

Today, I have the pleasure of handing my blog over to Kelley York, YA author of Hushed and Suicide Watch, to talk about writing LGBTQ novels and stereotypes.

Stereotypes are everywhere.

I think it’s sad in this day and age that so many people rely on them. You line up a row of people and many will automatically begin making judgments: That Asian kid? Bet he’s really smart. That athlete? Bet he’s dumb as a brick. Oh, and I bet that blonde, pretty girl is a total airhead and/or really easy.

Let’s add in a few more:

A woman with a short haircut and a flannel, maybe a bunch of tattoos.

A boy with his ears pierced, wearing fashionable clothing, who speaks and acts femininely.

contemporary, hayley long, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, what's up with jody barton, YA

Review: What's Up With Jody Barton? by Hayley Long

What's Up With Jody Barton? by Hayley Long (review copy) - Me and my sister are twins. She's Jolene and I'm Jody. We've both got brown hair, we're both left-handed and we both have these weirdly long little toes which make us look like long-toed mutants. But apart from that, I'd say we're fairly different. Well, actually, we're a lot different...

It's hard enough being one half of the world's least identical twins, without both of you falling for the same guy. Jolene's turned flirting into a fine art, but Jody? Not so much. And as if a twinny love triangle wasn't messy enough... there's something nobody knows about Jody Barton. Something BIG.

Told with the trademark warmth and laugh-out-loud humour of the much-loved LOTTIE BIGGS books, this is a book that will make you think, with a gobsmacking twist you won't believe. From Amazon UK

Before I start this review, I must tell you that there is a HUGE twist in this book that I will spoil. There is no way I can review this book in the way I want without spoiling it. I have permission from Macmillan Children's Books to do so as the book has been released for over a year. Do not read any further if you don't wish this book to be spoilt for you.

Sunday 14 July 2013

book recommendations, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month

Your LGBTQ YA Recommendations

12:00 Jo 13 comments

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!

barrington stoke, book for struggling and reluctant readers, contemporary, joanna kenrick, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, out, review, YA

Review: Out by Joanna Kenrick

Out by Joanna Kenrick (review copy) - Natalie is secretly in love with Will, her best friend. But Will has his own secret - he's gay. Which one of them will be first to speak out? From BarringtonStoke.co.uk

I'm for all readers being able to access books, people of all reading abilities, so it only seems fair to include Out in LGBTQ YA Month, a book published by Barrington Stoke for struggling and reluctant readers.

Natalie has been best friends with Will since she was six-years-old, but now she's 15, she's found her feelings for Will have changed, and she's seeing him in a completely different light. She likes him. She finds it very odd, but can't stop thinking about him, and knows she has to say something. What if he likes her too? But Will beats Natalie to it and makes an announcement of his own. He's gay. And now everything will change.

Saturday 13 July 2013

barrington stoke, cat clarke, contemporary, falling, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, YA

Review: Falling by Cat Clarke

Falling by Cat Clarke (review copy) - It's the party of the year and everyone's going to be there - the perfect opportunity for Anna to set up her newly-out best friend Tilly with the only other gay girl in school. And it'll help her keep her mind off the fact that she cheated on her perfect boyfriend Cam last night. But this party will change everything - A powerful novel about sexuality and growing up, realistically and frankly portrayed by acclaimed YA novelist Cat Clarke. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers of 14+ From Amazon UK

cat clarke, contemporary, issue novel, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, undone, YA

Review: Undone by Cat Clarke

Undone by Cat Clarke (proof) - Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it. Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself. Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down. A searing story of love, revenge and betrayal from a bestselling author. From Amazon UK

Friday 12 July 2013

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Interview with Joanne Horniman

Today, I am delighted to have author Joanne Horniman stop by my blog to answer some questions about her novel About a Girl.

How did you come up with the idea for About a Girl?

A lot of ideas and images came together for me. There was a girl I saw on showery summer night in Brisbane running down the street with an electric guitar, and a boy; it turned out that she was the support act for a group we were going to see. I'm interested in young people and creativity. Then there was the incredible way I missed Canberra after coming back from a visit (my son went to study there and has lived there for a decade), and setting part of the book there was a way of being there. And then I wanted to write a short novel about love, inspired by Jack Kerouac's 'The Subterraneans' - a love affair that doesn't work out. And then my previous book 'My Candlelight Novel' had a relationship between two girls - it wasn't the main aspect of the book, just a part of it, and I thought I should do a book where it is the subject. Just a lot of things building on each other till I couldn't prevent myself from writing it. It's such a hard slog to write a book. There has to be a compulsion there for me. And the book has to grow in an organic way. In many ways it's more like gardening than writing - it's about nurturing and growing and not forcing things along. That's the kind of gardener I am, anyway.

about a girl, contemporary, joanne horniman, lesbian, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, NA, review, romance, YA

Review: About a Girl by Joanne Horniman

About a Girl by Joanne Horniman (review copy) - I remember the first time that we lay together and I felt the crackle of her dark hair between my fingers, and closed my eyes and breathed her in, so that she became my entire world.

Anna is afraid she must be unlovable - until she meets Flynn. Together, the girls swim, eat banana cake, laugh and love. Some days Flynn is unreachable; other days she's at Anna's window - but when Anna discovers her secret, she wonders if she knows Flynn at all.

A beautifully crafted novel that explores the tension between the things that pull people together and the things that push them apart. From Amazon UK

Thursday 11 July 2013

birth of a new witch, guest post, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, trans in YA

On Birth of a New Witch: Trans in YA

Today, a great post is coming to you from Usagi and Ashleigh of Birth of a New Witch. They previously discussed non-binary gender in YA on their blog and today they’re taking the conversation further by getting into the trans area of the LGBT community, and how it’s being represented (or lack thereof) in YA books. Today's post is actually going to be on their own blog; they both really wanted to take part, but due to me not being clear enough, there was some crossed wires. So you have to head on over to Birth of a New Witch for the whole post, but here's something to get you interested.

USAGI: 2013 so far has been a big year when it comes to LGBT releases, specifically in the trans field. So far we have “Freakboy” (out in October), “Two Boys Kissing” (out in August), and “Pantomime” (released in February). It’s really great to see all of these books coming out of the woodwork and so quickly, especially since 2012 kind of got the ball rolling with “Beautiful Music for Ugly Children” and “Every Day”. So it’s good we’re seeing an expansion. For pre-2012 releases, you can go here to see a good list of trans within YA lit. Your thoughts, Ashleigh?

ASHLEIGH: Agreed! I kind of hate to agree because there are only three major LGBT releases we can think of right now for 2013, but it’s a step forward not unlike the Supreme Court’s decisions to strike down part of the Defense of Marriage Act and Prop 8 in California. (Speaking of which, hallelujah! Now if only we could get gay marriage made legal in the rest of the country…)

Read the rest of this post over on Birth of a New Witch here.

always mackenzie, contemporary, kate constable, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, YA

Review: Always Mackenzie by Kate Constable

Always Mackenzie by Kate Constable - Jem is a nerd, smart and forthright. Mackenzie is a golden girl, excelling at schoolwork, sport and drama, and popular with everyone. One night, at the Year 10 camp, Jem and Mackenzie strike up an unlikely friendship and are soon spending all their time together. But when camp ends, can Mackenzie and Jem maintain their bond at school, with all its unspoken rules, fierce cliques and easy misunderstandings? From Amazon UK

Wednesday 10 July 2013

book publishing, catnip publishing, guest post, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, liz bankes, non pratt

Guest Post: Non Pratt of Catnip Publishing on the Lack of LGBTQ YA in the UK

12:00 Jo 2 comments

As I was doing my research for LGBTQ YA Month, I realised how few LGBTQ YA is actually published in the UK. I was originally going to write a post that was a discussion-come-rant moaning about 1) How few LGBTQ YA novels there are written by UK authors and 2) How most of the LGBTQ YA novels by US authors I have been looking into for the Month aren't published in the UK; they don't seem to have been picked up, yet most big YA readers will have at least heard of David Levithan, for example. Why is this? But I thought it wasn't really fair; how can I just moan? Would it not be better to have someone else explain why this is? So I put it out on Twitter, asking if anyone working in publishing would like to answer these questions, and Non Pratt, Commissioning Editor at Catnip Publishing came back to me hugely eager to write something. So I'm so grateful to have Non stopping by today to answer these questions, along with Liz Bankes, Catnip's Editorial Assistant.

Many people checking in on Jo's LGBTQ month will be wondering the same things:

How come so few of these great US books are yet to be published in the UK? And where are all the UK-written ones?

It's easy to be led to the conclusion that UK publishers are perhaps scared, especially when stories of straight-washing hit the headlines (although the ones I've actually heard of happened in the US). There's also rumours of people advised against writing a gay protagonist because it would make selling the book harder.

The topic of diversity in publishing is HUGE and can't possibly be addressed in a single blog post, but I'll see what I can do…

anthology, contemporary, grl2grl, julie anne peters, lgbtq, lgbtq ya, lgbtq ya month, review, YA

Review: Grl2grl by Julie Anne Peters