The Best at It--"Being different is what makes us fun, remember?"

Title: The Best at It

Author: Maulik Pancholy


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is questioning/gay


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Rahul has a great family (even if his dad's Bollywood Supply band and his mom's excitement over the International bazaar are overwhelming) and, along with his bestie Chelsea, is excited to start seventh grade. Rahul's beloved grandfather, Bhai, advises Rahul to find one thing and "be the best at it." Rahul works to find his "best," deals with growing anxiety, avoids the neighborhood bully, and wills himself NOT to stare too much at cute Justin.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I tried super hard to write in a professional voice about the merits of this book: its sensitive portrayals of mental illnesses, questioning sexuality, celebrating Indian culture in majority white small-town Indiana (where I spent my childhood), inter-generational relationships, dealing with middle school bullies, and the correlation of athletic success to high self esteem in youth.

See? I could be a reference librarian.

The Gravity of Us--"Astrokid Calls on Americans to Save NASA From Clickbait Demise"

Title: The Gravity of Us

Author: Phil Stamper


LGBTQ+ Representation: Two main characters are in an m/m relationship


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Cal's dad receives the chance of a lifetime: working on a NASA mission to Mars. Cal and his parents move from Brooklyn to Houston, where the pressure to be the perfect family is high, and Cal falls for Leon, whose mom is also an astronaut. But as Cal continues to live-stream on his popular social media channel, he exposes corruption, and his dreams of staying with Leon and becoming a legitimate journalist are in jeopardy.


What I think: So many things to love about this adorable story! Travel with me down several Internet rabbit holes by clicking on the links I added as I thought of what I like about this story:

🚀 The setting: The wives of the first astronauts and their families all lived in a "perfect family"-style Texas suburb and were the 1960s version of today's reality TV family. All I could think of was the neighborhood in "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." The NASA program in The Gravity of Us requires the present-day families to also live in the perfect astronaut suburbs--even decorating the houses in a 60's retro style. 

"You didn't think this was the end of the story, did you?"--Books that need sequels

Top 10 Most-Wished-For Sequels

I just bought a long-awaited sequel today, I have another one on order, and I literally squealed with excitement when this one was announced! (And if this one ever becomes a reality, I will be so, SO overjoyed). Ooh, and I almost forgot about this upcoming one!

Clearly, I enjoy a good sequel, so let's ignore the 20 or so books in my to-be-read pile and the 10 in my I've-read-but-still-need-to-review pile and talk about the books that need sequels. Sometimes, I am just so in love with the characters, universe, and/or plot that I need MORE.

I need to know what happens next for these beloved people whose lives I've shared through the pages of their stories. I would camp outside of a bookstore to buy these sequels, like us older people had to do for concert tickets in the pre-Internet dark ages.

In fact, most of these books had me have immediately visiting Archive of Our Own to see if there are any fanfictions about these books, and if there are, I will link to the pages.

Uma said it best.



In alphabetical order, here are my top 10 most-wished-for sequels:

Before I Let Go--"Kyra burned so brightly. Until she had nothing left to give."

Title: Before I let Go

Author: Marieke Nijkamp


LGBTQ+ Representation: I know this sounds contradictory, but the rep is both insignificant to the plot AND contains spoilers. Just rest assured that there is LGBTQ+ rep.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Corey and Kyra were best friends in their Small Alaskan town, Lost Creek. Corey goes to boarding school, and days before she visits Lost, Kyra dies. Corey returns to Lost, but something's different. The people reject Corey, calling her an outsider, and worship the memory of Kyra, claiming Kyra's death was "meant to be." Corey is determined to find out the cause of Kyra's death and figure out the mysterious events in Lost.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): What am I reading? I asked myself at least one hundred times while reading. And yet, I couldn't put it down.

Lily and Dunkin--"Words have the power to change the world. Use them carefully."

Title: Lily and Dunkin

Author: Donna Gephart


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is a trans girl.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Lily knows she is a girl and wishes her father would stop calling her Tim and the bullies at school would leave her alone. Will she able to finally start hormone blockers? Dunkin is new in town and desperate to fit in, so why should it matter if he skips his bipolar medications occasionally if he becomes a better basketball player? Lily and Dunkin become friends despite the obstacles life throws at them.


What I think (contains spoilers): I checked out this book from the library and even before I finished reading it, I wanted to buy it for myself and said:

The Whispers--"I don't see any harm in praying to the Whispers. Maybe they're listening."

Title: The Whispers

Author: Greg Howard


LGBTQ+ Representation: Male main character is gay (does not explicitly describe himself as such, but claims he has "a condition," kisses boys, and is not interested in girls)


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Eleven-year-old Riley's mother disappeared four months ago, and he is determined to find her. She used to tell Riley bedtime stories about the "Whispers" that lived in the woods and granted wishes--could the Whispers be real? And could they help Riley find his mother? Riley is determined to find out, but what if his "condition" is what caused his mother to disappear?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Three years ago, my kids and I moved from Indiana to North Carolina. My two older children reacted in a way that I had not anticipated: acting strangely around my father, accusing him of doing and saying things he never would.

The Music of What Happens--"This was Different. This was Real."

Title: The Music of What Happens

Author: Bill Konigsberg


LGBTQ+ Representation: Both main characters are gay.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Max and Jordan couldn't be more different: Max plays sports and hangs out with "his dude bros" while Jordan writes poetry and shops with "his wives." Max agrees to help Jordan run his late father's food truck for the summer, and their friendship turns into something more. However, both boys are keeping secrets (Max was raped recently; Jordan's mother's gambling is becoming more problematic) that threaten their newfound relationship.


What I think: Every time I read a Konigsberg book, I am always inspired to write a lot about it. 

I think this is a compliment to his books--plus, I am a former English teacher who analyzes books and runs book clubs for fun. So for this review, I am going to discuss what I found fun and sweet, and reasons that I want to hug both Max and Jordan.

Darius the Great is Not Okay--"That's normal. Right?"

Title: Darius the Great is Not Okay

Author: Adib Khorram


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character does not explicitly state his sexuality, but the story implies that he identifies as gay and may have a crush on his close friend


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Darius is half-Persian on his mother's side but has never fit in anywhere--he enjoys Tolkien, Star Trek, and tea (making him a target for bullies) and lives with clinical depression. He thinks things will be the same when he and his family go to Iran to visit his grandparents, but then Darius meets Sohrab and becomes close friends with him. With Sohrab, Darius has never felt so comfortable--has he finally found his place?


What I think: I could review this book sounding like a starstruck teenage girl, and to quote myself from an earlier review:

I love everything about this book; it makes me laugh; it makes me cry; it makes me goofily smile like a big dope. 

I could go on and on like "the fangirl reviewer"--you know, the one that you roll your eyes at and move on from because there's no substance in the review, just random gushing.

Therefore, here are some specific examples of what I liked in this book:

White Rabbit--"I will the ice to thicken over my heart against its fearsome power"

Title: White Rabbit

Author: Caleb Roehrig


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character identifies as gay; supporting character as bi, m/m relationship


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Rufus is having a stressful night. First, his ex-boyfriend Sebastian (who broke his heart) reappears in his life. Next, Rufus gets a call from his half-sister April, who has woken up covered in blood--beside the dead body of her boyfriend. Rufus and Sebastian work together to find out who of the privileged rich friends of April is responsible for Fox Whitney's death.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I love the pretentious-sounding-rich-people names of the characters in this story: Fox Whitney, Hayden Covington, Race Atwood, Peyton Forsyth, Alexis Carrington Colby--okay that last one is actually from Dynasty, but her name and personality would have fit in at this school because these teenagers are the worst.

With or Without You--"I always have a story. The only thing worse than needing one is when I don't."

Title: With or Without You

Author: Brian Farrey



What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Tired of being bullied for their sexual orientation, Evan and Davis go to a meeting of the Chasers, a group that promises to teach them "how to be gay" and stand up to bullies. Davis is immediately swept away in the promises of the Chasers, while Evan remains skeptical but determined to protect Davis. Meanwhile, Evan also deals with his apathetic family, his secret boyfriend, and honing his artistic talent through glass-painting.


What I think: Poor Evan has the lowest self-esteem of any main character I've read in a long time. But is it any wonder: Evan and Davis are physically and verbally bullied at school so often, they don't even both letting anyone know; bullying is so much a part of their daily routine. They manage to scrape through their senior year of high school together, remembering that this time the next year, they will be in college in Chicago.

The Beauty that Remains--"No one ever talks about the living who have unfinished business with the dead. How do they ever find peace again?"

Title: The Beauty that Remains

Author: Ashley Woodfolk


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Logan's ex-boyfriend, Bram, died in a mysterious "suicide."  Shay's twin sister, Sasha, died of leukemia. Autumn's best friend, Tavia, died in a car accident on the way to a party that Autumn (and Tavia's brother, Dante) were supposed to attend. Logan obsessively watches Youtube videos of Bram; Shay struggles to keep up Sasha's music blog; Autumn writes messages to Tavia's email account.  All these grieving teenagers have some connection to the defunct band, Unraveling Lovely.


What I think: I thought I had read some sad, yet moving, books this year, but this one was . . . WOW.  I originally picked it up because it had a blurb from Angie Thomas, the author of The Hate U Give, on the cover: "Be prepared to be broken, be prepared to feel whole again." Since The Hate U Give is one of the best books I've ever read (and I've read LOTS of books), I picked up The Beauty that Remains. And again, wow.

Tattoo Atlas--"Nice is different than good" OR "All of us have some crazy in us, don't we?"

Title: Tattoo Atlas

Author:  Tim Floreen


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Last year, Franklin brought a gun to school and killed Rem's friend, Pete. Now Franklin is the subject of an experiment (run by Rem's mother) to see out if sociopaths can be "cured" by implanting a device that activates the "empathy" parts of their brains. The procedure seems to work on Franklin, and he and Rem almost become (more than) friends, but when another classmate is killed, Rem wonders if Franklin is fooling everyone.


What I think: Tattoo Atlas is a frustrating, suspenseful, horrifying, and thought-provoking book that I could not put down, even when one of my kids asked me why I was "looking at the book with such a scared face."  I tried to take breaks and go back to reading the other books I am in the middle of, but I couldn't. I had to know what was going to happen to Rem, Franklin, and their other classmates, but at the same time was scared to find out what was going to happen.

The Art of Starving--"More authors need to write books like this: young adults should discuss addiction, sexuality, and bullying openly, without fear of judgment"

Title: The Art of Starving

Author: Sam J. Miller

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Matt a lonely, gay, high school student, finds that when he starves himself, his senses are heightened; and he can develop his superhuman powers (such as mind reading and control). Matt must befriend and then destroy Tariq because Tariq hurt Matt's older sister, Maya, causing her to run away.  Matt's mother, a closet alcoholic, is stressed because she is afraid she will lose her job at the slaughterhouse.

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Matt, the (very unreliable!) narrator, is written so well, readers (or at least I) want to trust and believe him. I found myself wondering if your senses do heighten if you're hungry (they don't).

The fact, however, that I felt compelled to research it just shows you how believable Matt's voice is.

Unbecoming--"The maiden, the mother, and the crone"

Title: Unbecoming

Author: Jenny Downham

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Katie is a seventeen-year-old struggling to accept her sexuality. Caroline is an uptight, divorced single mother doing her best with her two children.  Mary suffers from Alzheimer's and reappears after not having talked to her daughter Caroline in years.  While caring for Mary, Katie learns to accept herself, and Caroline comes to terms with her difficult childhood. And Mary struggles to remember the mysterious "blue blanks" of her past, memories bittersweet for her to recall.

What I think:  I read an article from The Guardian talking about how this book "presents the archetypal trio of maiden, mother, and crone in a very modern setting" and I liked that description so much I decided to write the review in the voices of the maiden, mother, and crone as they are in Unbecoming.

Alex as Well--"More about untreated mental illness than intersex or trans"

Title: Alex as Well

Author: Alyssa Brugman

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Alex, who was raised as a boy, always knew that she was really a girl.  Even as she lives as a girl, the "boy Alex" still lives inside her--it's like she is two people at once.  Alex struggles to live authentically as she deals with her mentally unstable mother and non-confrontational father. When she enrolls in a new school and contacts a solicitor to help her change her birth certificate, Alex discovers something startling.

What I think (in 400 words or fewer):  This book was . . . unsettling.  Alex identifies as a girl and the "boy" Alex talks to her in her head, like another personality.  Every time Alex does something particularly masculine, or rude and vulgar, she blames "boy Alex."  Alex refers to her male part as her "noodle" and mentions that it is smaller than average.

Shine--"You can cast off the darkness and shine again, can't you?"

Title: Shine

Author: Lauren Myracle

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Cat's childhood friend, an openly-gay teenager in the small North Carolina town of Black Creek, was severely beaten and left for dead.  While Patrick lies in a coma, Cat questions everyone in her small town to figure out who did this to Patrick, and also confronts a boy who sexually assaulted her three years previously, as well as systematic poverty, drug addiction, homophobia, racism, and desperation in Black Creek.

What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  The mystery is very easy to figure out, even though I had a sad feeling in my stomach because I did not want for this character to be guilty--I really liked and felt bad for him! I stubbornly held on to the belief that it was another character, the openly "bad guy," but then, surprisingly, he feels remorseful for his actions (and has a solid alibi).

Willful Machines--"What a piece of work is man" OR "Submitted for Your Approval"

Title: Willful Machines

Author: Tim Floreen


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Lee's mother was killed by Charlotte, a super realistic human-like robot called a 2B who uploaded her consciousness to the Internet and is now terrorizing the American people. Lee's politician father then started the conservative Human Values party, was elected president of the USA, and vowed to destroy all 2Bs.  Meanwhile, Lee is a closeted teenager who has a crush on his new classmate, Nico, but is Nico too good to be true?


What I think (in a bunch of words because rules are meant to be broken): 

"How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty!":  Shakespearean plays are quoted several times in this book, and I was going to write this post using "What a piece of work is man" from Hamlet (which is set to music in Hair).  I really like Hamlet and Shakespeare in general, but my goodness I love The Twilight Zone  and there are just SO MANY episodes about realistic human robots and I could not help but think of several of them when reading Willful Machines.  So instead of impressing all y'all with my English teacher knowledge of Shakespeare and Hamlet, I am instead listening to the soundtrack of Hair and recalling all of the TZ robot episodes to compare to this book.

Little and Lion--"A good choice for a literature circle or book club"

Title: Little and Lion

Author:  Brandy Colbert


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Suzette returns to her LA home after spending the school year in a boarding school.  While she was there, she had a romantic relationship with her roommate and is now confused about her sexuality.  While home, Suzette develops a crush on her female coworker, Rafaela, and begins dating her childhood friend, Emil. Lionel, Suzette's bipolar stepbrother, begins dating Rafaela and stops taking his medication.  Suzette is very worried about Lionel, which affects her other relationships.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I just finished reading and am still trying to process all the issues and discussion-able topics in Little and Lion.  If I were still teaching high school, this would be a great choice for a small group discussion literature circle.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson--"You kids get off my lawn"

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Authors:  John Green and David Levithan


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Will Grayson is in high school and friends with Tiny, the "world's largest person who is really, really gay."  Will is dealing with Tiny's dramatic life of falling in love every two seconds and is matched up with Jane. Meanwhile, another Will Grayson, the same age, is stranded in Chicago after being catfished by his best friend.  He's bummed, so Will#1 sets him up with Tiny, who's thrilled to date the other "Will Grayson."


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): First, I'd like to say that I'm a big fan of the Greens' Crash Course series but not a fan of Green's books.  Katherines was okay; TFIOS was yuck; Alaska was . . . forgettable, since I'm pretty sure I read it, but . . . ?  On the other hand, I've liked most Levithan books I've read.

Drama Queens in the House--"Please adopt me, Jumbles"

Title:  Drama Queens in the House

Author:  Julie Williams

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Jessie lives right across the street from and has grown up in the Jumble theater and school, along with several biological and surrogate family members.  Jessie's parents opened the theater with another couple and have been running it for over twenty years.  Jessie has just graduated from high school and is figuring out what to do next when she catches her father kissing the theater's male costumer. What other Jumble secrets will Jessie uncover?

What I think (in more than 250 words--too many characters to limit words):  First of all, my summary and all of the other summaries I've read online can't begin to describe what this book is about.  Jessie herself describes her family as a "proverbial French farce" and I can't help but agree.