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.

Boyfriends with Girlfriends--"I need time to explore first if that’s really who I am." Guest Post!

Title: Boyfriends with Girlfriends

Author: Alex Sanchez  

**This GUEST POST was written by Alix Adrian**

About Alix, in their own words: As a busy, aging, dyslexic reader, I enjoy YA fiction because I can make solid progress through a book even on early-to-bed evenings. I grew up in New Jersey and have spent the past 30 years in North Carolina. This helps to draw attention to the significant cultural differences found in especially in queer fiction across both time and locations. I have two young adult children, who, sadly, are not voracious readers. I also have three cats who like nothing better than to snuggle with me and a book.


LGBTQ+ Representation: One gay teen, one butch lesbian teen, one questioning female teen, two questioning male teens


Content Warning: Two male characters have mutual hand sex. One main character has had much more sexual experience and this is a concern for the less experienced partner.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Four high school students in neigboring schools explore love, sexuality, and friendships, with a lens to their families’ cultural and social views.

 
What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  This book may be showing its age a wee bit.

Juliet Takes a Breath--"How could anything as huge as feminism be universal?"

Title: Juliet Takes a Breath

Author: Gabby Rivera


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character and many others are lesbian, and supporting characters are bi and queer.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Juliet is thrilled when she, a self-described "closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx," lands an internship with her favorite, feminist author Harlowe Brisbane. Coming out to her close-knit family right before leaving does not go well. In Portland, Oregan, Juliet enjoys researchin (and the cute girl-librarian), but the mostly white, lesbian feminist scene is not quite what Juliet expects. Will a trip to visit extended family help Juliet define feminism for herself?


What I think (In my ranting, I totally spoil 2/3 of the book. To avoid spoilers, click on read more, scroll down to the six rainbows, and read after that): Juliet's story takes place in 2003, in the summer after her first year of college; I thought "that's not that long ago!" but then realized it was almost twenty years ago. Wow.

I like that Juliet researched at the library to research all these women and topics on random bits of paper that Harlowe has written on and thrown into a box. I had never heard of Lolita Lebron, for example. I knew of Del Martin, but she's worth reading about again. Banana Republic is not just an overpriced, preppy clothing store. Kira the cute librarian who bakes and drives a motorcycle? Sign me up! (Okay, not really because I'm terrified of riding on motorcycles. But still, she sounds hot!)

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James--"Sometimes I forget that I made it all up, The mermaid in the sea And me in the sand."

 Title: The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James

Author: Ashley Herring Blake


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character wants to kiss girls, not boys


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Now that she's gotten a new heart, twelve-year-old Sunny's goals are 1) do everything she couldn't do before, 2) find a best friend, and 3) kiss a boy. Sunny's swimming again, and finds best-friend potential in cool, new girl Quinn, and maybe . . . Sunny would rather kiss Quinn than a boy! But how does Quinn feel? Plus, Sunny is still reeling from her former-best-friend's (FBF's) betrayal, and Sunny's estranged mother moves back into town, complicating everything.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Blake writes in her afterward that she's not picking favorites, but "Sunny swept and stole my heart" (pg. 373); since I can pick favorites, Sunny is my favorite of Blake's main characters.

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens--"The only thing about bliss is that it's sometimes accompanied by ignorance"

Title: Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens

Author: Tanya Boteju


LGBTQ+ Representation: Lesbians, gay, drag queens, trans, gender non-binary, queer, questioning.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Seventeen-year-old Nima, is bored with small-town life in Bridgeton; plus, she's dealing with her mother abruptly leaving the family and a crush on her straight best friend. When Nima enters the mysterious "artsy" tent at the local festival, she befriends a drag queen and becomes a part of the drag scene in the neighboring town. Will Nima find love, overcome her awkwardness, keep her friends, and come to terms with her mother's decisions?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  Based on the cover, I expected a light-hearted, maybe silly, romp through drag culture, but this was definitely not the case with this book. However, even though it is not at all what I thought it would be, it's worth reading.