I know I seem to talk about book bans every other newsletter, but that’s for good reason: it’s the biggest story in queer books, and it’s only — unbelievably — ramping up after years of increased challenges. But we can fight back, and I include some resources later.
Are you looking for the perfect Valentine’s gift for your bookish boo? Gift Tailored Book Recommendations. Your boo will tell our professional book nerds about what they love and what they don’t, what they’re reading goals are, and what they need more of in their bookish life. Then, they sit back while our Bibliologists go to work selecting books just for them. TBR has plans for every budget. Surprise your bookish boo with Tailored Book Recommendations this Valentine’s and visit mytbr.co/gift.
Today, I wanted to highlight the charity Hope In a Box. They supply rural public schools with “curated books with LGBTQ characters, detailed curriculum for these books tied to Common Core State Standards, and extensive training and mentorship on how to cultivate an inclusive classroom.” You can find out more at the Hope In a Box website and support them by donating. You can also buy a box outright for your own classroom.
Bookish Goods
We Need LGBTQIA+ Books by We Need Diverse Books
I love everything about this shirt. Dragon? Yes. Rainbow books? Yes. The proceeds going to support LGBTQIA+ kids and teens? Yes! Available in a variety of styles. $32
New Releases
The Minus-One Club by Kekla Magoon Queer YA Contemporary
After Kermit lost his sister in a car accident, he finds an invitation in his locker signed “-1”. That’s when he discovers the Minus-One Club, made up of other students who have lost someone they loved. His crush, Matt — the only out gay guy at school — is also there, and they quickly bond. But grief isn’t easy, not for Matt or Kermit or any of the Minus-One Club members, and Kermit will have to help them face their emotions together before it tears them apart.
6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe (Sapphic YA Contemporary)
Don’t be fooled by the cute cover and the fanfic-inspired title: I have it on good authority that this YA romance has some emotionally devastating moments. I loved Sharpe’s previous YA title, The Girls I’ve Been, so I’m excited to dive into this one and get my heart broken.
The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan (Bisexual YA Fantasy)
Love without Bounds: An IntersectionAllies Book about Families by Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council, Carolyn Choi, and Ashley Seil Smith (LGBTQ Picture Book)
For more new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
The fourth task in the 2023 Read Harder Challenge is “Read a book that’s been challenged recently in your school district/library OR read one of the most-challenged/banned books of the year by a queer and/or BIPOC author.” Since LGBTQ books are some of the most commonly challenged, it sadly will be pretty easy to find a queer book to fit this challenge.
Don’t just stop at reading banned books, though: that won’t get them back on the shelf or prevent them from being pulled off in the first place. Check out our anti-censorship tool kit to learn how to fight book bans, and sign up for the Literary Activism newsletter to stay informed.
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
This was the second-most challenged book of last year, behind Gender Queer. It’s a beautiful memoir by a nonbinary author sharing what they’ve learned growing up Black and queer. Johnson provides advice for kids struggling with the same things they did when they were young, and it’s such a valuable story that needs be available for the young people who could most benefit from reading it.
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
This adult novel is a coming-of-age story about a young gay Mexican-American man. In 2019, it won one of the American Library Association’s Alex Awards for “adult books that appeal to teen audiences.” This is a book that’s been wildly misrepresented in book challenges, inventing or misreading scenes in the book. Read it yourself and be the judge.
All the Links Fit to Click
Librarians threatened with jail if they stock LGBTQ+ books in North Dakota
Queer Your Fears With 15 of the Best LGBTQIA Horror Books
‘No Straight Lines’ unearths the hidden history of queer comic books
After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz was reviewed at The New York Times
That’s it for me this week! Until next time, you can find me at my sapphic book blog, the Lesbrary. You can also hear me on All the Books or you can read my Book Riot posts.
Happy reading!
Danika