Read any good LGBT lit lately?

I just went through the Tales of the City series by Armistead Maupin to celebrate its release in e-format and because I've read the recent book Mary Ann in Autumn twice already without reading it in its proper chronology. (Mr. Maupin "liked" my comment on Facebook that chapter 14 of Michael Tolliver Lives is still as emotionally devastating the third time as it was the first!)

If that made sense.

I'm now reading Eminent Outlaws: The Gay Writers Who Changed America by Christopher Bram. It's a look at gay literature and its authors after World War II, and it's proving to be an interesting read. Much biographical information on such authors as Christopher Isherwood, Truman Capote, and James Baldwin, and the evolution of the landscape. Up next: either a YA novel called Debbie Harry Sings In French by Meagan Brothers or Affinity or Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (LOVED Tipping the Velvet!).

Don't expect much from Witch Eyes, Kitty. There's a character who's supposed to be a Marvel comic fan, and it's a pretty appalling case of Critical Research Failure. This X-Men fan was not impressed.

Otherwise, it's a pretty standard paranormal YA. Angsty, mysterious love interest, rival magic clans that make the romance inconvenient for both parties, useless parents, blah-blah-blah. I didn't like it.

Last LGBT book I read that was pretty good: Libyrinth by Pearl North. There are three POV characters, one of whom is a lesbian, and one of the fantasy settings is this Amazon-like matriarchy with this whole warrior culture going on. And the main conflict is about whether the knowledge and secrets of the universe should be recorded in books, or in song. The world building is incredible.

I've been wanting to read WITCH EYES. I just haven't gotten around to buying it yet.

Adding some of these other books to my TBR list~

Rhoda Nightingale said:

Don't expect much from Witch Eyes, Kitty. There's a character who's supposed to be a Marvel comic fan, and it's a pretty appalling case of Critical Research Failure. This X-Men fan was not impressed.

Otherwise, it's a pretty standard paranormal YA. Angsty, mysterious love interest, rival magic clans that make the romance inconvenient for both parties, useless parents, blah-blah-blah. I didn't like it.

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I've heard of it and the author Scott Tracey. You make it sound like Twilight on gayroids. Probably not my thing, if true.

I can never find enough gay fiction that I enjoy. Of course I have a long list of pissy noes: NO coming out stories, NO street kid/rent boy stories, NO story that has AIDS as the central plot point, premise and/or theme. And, good god, no high-class literary nonsense with the grammar--I know, some people are artistes, but I want a book I can cuddle up with in bed at night.

I am currently working my way through the Cambridge Mysteries (Charlie Cochrane), gradually. They are modest fun. A Book of Tongues has been on my list forever, but--no matter where I register--no one seems to buy it for me! Oh, bother. Some folks on another GLBT writers group were not overly enthusiastic about Eminent Outlaws, but I do love C Bram. In fact I think the last gay themed book I loved loved loved was The Notorious Dr. August...So I am sure I'll get to it eventually.

Well, I read mostly YA, so I read a lot of coming out stories by result. Last one I read The Vast Fields of Ordinary, but I didn't really like it. Before that was Hero, and I didn't like that one either. In progress with Boyfriends with Girlfriends... And I'm not liking it. Not sure what is going on, heh.

I have one adult book called Am I My Sister's Keeper that I may try soon when I've exhausted the YA out there.

Considering the only LGBT books I've read recently are mine (ugg, editing), that question feels like a trap.

The last LGBT book I bought is a sci-fi story, Shadow Man by Melissa Scott. The main character is a hermaphrodite who lives in a society that denies that there are other genders than male and female. In their future there's actually five but the new ones get no recognition. Of course this leads to civil unrest. I found it very interesting.

Gale Haut said:

I've heard of it and the author Scott Tracey. You make it sound like Twilight on gayroids. Probably not my thing, if true.

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But without the vampires, and not quite so melodramatic as that. It's a quick read (I got it from the library), but IMO irreparably boring.

Rhoda Nightingale said:

But without the vampires, and not quite so melodramatic as that. It's a quick read (I got it from the library), but IMO irreparably boring.

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That's disappointing. It was on my list. Not anymore. I have enough stuff to read to be taking chances like that.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU by Brian Farrey was a good read. So was GONE, GONE, GONE by Hannah Moskowitz.

I really want to get ahold of I'LL GET THERE. IT BETTER BE WORTH THE TRIP. by John Donovan. Which, I mean, was originally published in 1969 and re-released in 2010, but I read the sample on my Nook and enjoyed it.

What's wrong with Holden Caulfield?

Love him!

Hi. I happened upon this thread this morning. Best of late? Mine, if I can say it. I'm revising it right now. Not strictly LGBT because there's hetero stuff in there, so I'm not sure what market . . .I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

It's a love story (but not all sweetness and light, though; not even) about a prick college professor (with two failed marriages) and the uncommonly sweet young male prostitute who loves him in spite of everything. . .but that love won't last because the kid's planning to kill himself so he can be with his dead mother. (It's not that bad. Really, it isn't! I guess you'll have to take my word for it. . .

[Edited material.] I posted more on SYW, etc., FYI. Anyway, just putting in my two cents. . .Never mind me. Please, carry on.

Oh, by the way, Holden Caulfield makes a couple of appearances in my novel. I like the kid. What's not to like?

This portion of the boards is not password protected. Probably not the best idea to post work here, for future reference.

Anyway, I'll go check it out.

I didn't know about the password thing. My apologies. kkbe

p.s. Just removed it.

Sadly, no. I recently pre-ordered the paperback edition of Pink by Lily Wilkinson, though, which I've heard good things about. The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George is also supposed to be fantastic, but there's no paperback version available yet.

They're both contemporary YA, FWIW.

On the note of queer YA--Malinda Lo is making a list of 2012 YA novels with queer main characters. She asks people to Tweet additions to her at @malindalo.

Corinne Duyvis said:

On the note of queer YA--Malinda Lo is making a list of 2012 YA novels with queer main characters. She asks people to Tweet additions to her at @malindalo.

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Oh, handy! I'll have to tweet her my book, then. Thanks.

Nope. Hoping to remedy that soon.

I think part of my problem is that I can't or won't read YA.

Raventongue said:

I think part of my problem is that I can't or won't read YA.

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Why is that? Have you tried upper-YA?

I have. I can stomach it better than plain old YA, but it's still just not for me.

I should amend that to I can't or won't read most YA. Once in a while something awesome comes along, but that's true of almost anything outside my usual reading zone.

Well, we aren't limiting the convo to only YA, are we? If we are, then I really have less to say. Urgh. I read the occasional YA, but I find for the most part the entire genre has little to say I am interested in hearing.

JohnnyGottaKeyboard said:

Well, we aren't limiting the convo to only YA, are we? If we are, then I really have less to say. Urgh. I read the occasional YA, but I find for the most part the entire genre has little to say I am interested in hearing.

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You read the piece of trash I wrote, which is saying something for your tolerance levels.

No, we're not limiting the conversation to YA. I merely mean that a lot of the recent uptick in available GLBT lit is YA.