Douglas Stuart returns with Young Mungo, his second novel, about a tender boy growing up in a violent world and trying to find his place. … More A Dangerous Coming of Age in Glasgow: Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
Any gay man who recently saw Love, Simon in theaters can tell you how incredible it feels to see a teen romantic comedy with a gay protagonist after all these years, and how the experience is bittersweet because even though it feels like we’ve finally arrived, it’s still sad that these stories weren’t around for us … More Transgender Teen Romance is Here! If I Was Your Girl, by Meredith Russo: Book Review
It’s rare that a book makes me laugh out loud AND cry. The Heart’s Invisible Furies did both. … More Coming of Age (and Coming Out) in a Changing Ireland: The Heart’s Invisible Furies, by John Boyne
“There was so much to destroy.” Every reader knows the sensation of getting really excited by the idea behind a book, then finding the execution is totally meh. When it happens, it’s natural to experience denial. You try to like it in spite of itself. You make excuses for the problematic areas. In your head, … More Coming of Age in a Cult: The Girls, by Emma Cline
The Wednesday Wars was an unexpectedly moving delight when I read it. Part of the joy from reading it was that it wasn’t like most other books out there. It felt new and exciting, and when it went for your tear ducts it really earned the tears. Unfortunately, Orbiting Jupiter doesn’t have any of the same … More Book Review: Orbiting Jupiter, by Gary D. Schmidt
“Because we were not in our country, we could not use our own languages, and so when we spoke our voices came out bruised.” Having a stamp of approval from Junot Díaz is not a small deal to me. In my mind he is one of the most authentic–not to mention best–authors working today. He … More Book Review: We Need New Names, by NoViolet Bulawayo
Last time I told you about a book that my husband and I discovered in a bookstore together. Now I’d like to tell you about one of the first books he recommended to me when we first met and started dating. I’m always curious about the books people like enough to recommend to others. It’s … More Great LGBT Book Recommendations: Call Me By Your Name, by André Aciman
“The problem with my life was that it was someone else’s idea.” Thank goodness for librarians. For a lot of reasons, really. I’m very lucky to have a lot of friends who work in libraries, mostly in the Young Adult area. I guess that’s one of those things that happens when you love books: you … More Book Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz
“You can build a whole world around the tiniest of touches.” I’m just going to say it straight out: this book kinda creeped me out. And not in a good way. The year is 1987. June Elbus is one of those quirky, misunderstood teens in the Royal Tenenbaums, Harold and Maude mold. None of her … More Book Review: Tell the Wolves I’m Home, by Carol Rifka Brunt
Supposedly Fun 