#recommending books

[gailcarriger]

Cute Story!

[blackswanavenue]

worst part about going back to uni for my phd is leaving my bookshop job :(((((( like guys i LOVE this job :(((((( it's the best job ever you don't understand :(((((( going to miss it so bad

[marmelade-sky-reading]

Book Recs: Queer Lit (contemporary)

Sometimes you just need that gay fluff. These books are mostly feel-good, happy contemporary with a bit of drama, and mostly YA. If you have any good book recommendations about books with lesbian, bi, trans*, ace/aro etc. main characters, please let me know! 

There will be another post about queer fantasy books as well :)

Simon versus the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

The book that everyone seemed to have fallen in love with, especially after the movie has come out. And rightfully so. Simon versus the Homo Sapiens Agenda follows Simon, a highschooler, who has a secret: he’s gay. But that’s not Simon’s only secret: there’s also Blue, the mysterious closeted boy who goes to Simon’s school and Simon only knows through e-mails. When Simon’s classmate Martin dicovers Simon’s and Blue’s mails and starts blackmailing Simon with them, Simon’s secrets threaten to be revealed. 

Simon vs. is such a sweet book that deals with how hard it is to come out, and to come to terms with oneself. 

Whatever by SJ Goslee

Mika Tate is just a normal high school dude, with stoner friends and a crappy band. Well, until his girlfriend breaks up with him because she thinks he’s gay. And until he discovers that his sworn enemy, Rook, suddenly starts smiling at him all the time. 

Basically, a gay stoner high school story. It’s a little cliché in parts, but it’s great for when you just want to switch off your brain and enjoy a fun, fluffy book.

Boy meets Boy by David Levithan

Paul lives in a world where the cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen is a Drag Queen and the gay-straight alliance teaches the straight kids how to dance. Paul himself is tangled in the chaotic lifes of his friends, the leftover of his relationship with his ex Kyle, and Noah- who Paul’s completely blown it with. 

Since it’s basically set in gay utopia, this book is one for the heart- there’s barely any coming-out trouble or homophobia, all there is is fluff. Highly recommended if you just want to smile a lot while reading. 

Almost like being in Love by Steve Kluger

High school jock and high school nerd fall in love, spend one amazing summer- and then embark for different colleges and later, their adult lives. 

Twenty years later, Travis still thinks that Craig is “the one that got away”- and sets out to find him. 

This is basically a fossil of gay literature. It’s written in the form of diary entries, letters and mails, which can sometimes be a little confusing. 

Centre of my World by Andreas Steinhöfel

I’ve already mentioned this book in another post- it’s my favourite book of all time (psst- there’s a movie, too!).

Phil lives with his eccentric mother Glass and his strange twin sister Dianne... -and a whole lot of secrets in his pasts that Glass refuses to reveal. For example the twins’ father’s name. As a result of that, Phil keeps looking- for answers, perspective and an identity. And then, Nicholas, the new guy in Phil’s grade, shows up and threatens to cause even more chaos in Phil’s life. 

This book is pure magic. As the story goes along, we also learn about Phil’s poetically strange past, about his family and about how hard it is to grow when you’re not sure about your own roots. Love the representation: gay, bi and lesbian!

Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante meet at the swimming pool, and at first, it seems like they’re as different as they can be: Ari is an angry teen with a brother in prison who no-one ever talks about and a father who suffers from PTSD, and Dante is a know-it-all with a strange way of looking at the world and parents who love him to death. But as they start spending more time together, they discover that being alike isn’t the key to a life-changing friendship.

This book has a very special writing style. I personally loved it (and the audiobook is read by Lin Manuel Miranda!). This, to me, is the very definition of gay contemporary. 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Henry Montague is supposed to be a true gentleman- born into a wealthy family, educated at the finest boarding schools of Great Britain... but Monty prefers drinking, gambling and a long string of lovers over manners and hard work. When he embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, Monty hopes for pleasure and fun- but then his father reveals to him that his little sister Felicity is going to accompany him...and that he expects Monty to take over the family estate upon return. And those are not the only issues threatening Monty’s joy about the trip: he’s also harbouring an enormous crush on his best friend Percy who’s coming along. When questionable decisions turn the trip into a dangerous manhunt, Monty, Percy and Felicity find themselves on an adventure they didn’t sign up for.

This is such a weird book, but I loved it. It made me laugh, but also kept me on the edge of my seat a lot of times. Basically, this adventure literature with added gayness. Also- representation: gay, bi, aro/ace characters! 

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshman year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan.

Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again.

Very fluffy, perfect for high school-aged people! It has some tropes that kind of threw me off, but all in all, it was pretty cute. 

[bookriot]

We often forget, for all we talk about it, of the power of books. Frequently, we discuss how books are affirming, are life-altering, and can change its readers’ views and opinions. But what about those books that are negating, are life-shattering, and destroy our comfort? Are these books the same? Do we truly consider the impact of a recommended book? What happens when we make a truly bad book recommendation?

from The Absolute Worst Book Recommendation I’ve Ever Made

[lilymaidofgallifrey]

I finished reading All the Light We Cannot See and now my mum’s reading it. I didn’t expect her to like it so much because she doesn’t read a whole lot (mainly because she doesn’t have time), but she’s loving it. It’s so cool when you can share a book with other people. 

[bookriot]

Everyone likes being seen as an expert. For those of us who take reading seriously, being the one friends and family members turn to for recommendations can be humbling. But it also comes with a lot of responsibility, and the pressure to make the perfect call. Nothing is worse than enthusiastically talking up a book to a friend, and then watching as they struggle to compliment it when you ask what they thought.

from The Anxiety of Recommending Books to Other People

[kingsbridgelibraryteens]

What’s the best way to recommend a book to a fellow librarian? THIS MIGHT BE IT!!!!!!

OMG. This is:

awesome

+

adorable

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A QUICK READ!!!

🙂