LGBTQIA+

Audiobook: Rainbow Black

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by Maggie Thrash
Read by Hope Newhouse
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is a lot of swearing, including multiple f-bombs, frank talk of sex, and descriptions of a murder scene. It’s in the Mystery section of the bookstore (for a lack of a better place to put it.)

Lacey Bond had an idyllic childhood, out in the New Hampshire woods with her hippie parents who ran a daycare. But then, when she was 13, her parents were arrested on 30 counts of pedophilia, with the townspeople – and more importantly, therapists and prosecutors – accusing them of witchcraft and Satanism, and doing Unspeakable Things with the children. These children also said that Lacey was there, was forced to be a part of it, which Lacey knows she wasn’t. Except, none of the adults believe her. And then, when her older sister, Eclair, is brutally murdered in their house, Lacey is thrown into the system. She does have a friend – Dylan (I hope that’s spelled right!) – who is trans, and who is taken away to live with her abusive biological father and creepy older brothers. Lacey becomes panicked – she has endured a LOT of trauma – and ends up making a decision that puts Lacey and Dylan on the run to Canada.

Fourteen years later, this all comes back to haunt them as they are trying to move past their traumatic childhood and create a decent life for themselves.

It’s a weird book – excellently read by Newhouse – not quite horror, though there is a lot of talk of Satanic Panic and Lacey is often in situations that could be called horrific – not quite a mystery, mostly because there’s no mystery about who is doing these things. I think, in the end, it’s a condemning look at what happens to a kid who – through no fault of their own – gets caught in the system. Of the adults trying to manipulate and coerce the kids to their ends. The adults who weren’t able or just didn’t help out as much as they could. And of the adults who just don’t believe the things the kids say, if they don’t line up with the story they want or need. Also taking a hard look at the consequences when kids take their lives into their own hands. It’s harrowing and sad, though Thrash injects humor along the way.

I don’t think I liked this one in the traditional sense, but I did find it compelling – especially on audio – and it did give me a lot to think about.

The Guncle Abroad

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by Steven Rowley
First sentence: “Patrick O’Hara removed the cloche from his room service breakfast with a flourish it not deserve; he grimaced at what lay beneath.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: The Guncle
Release date: May 21, 20124
Review copy pilfered off the galley shelves at work.
Content: There is some swearing (maybe f-bombs? They didn’t stand out) and some off-screen sex. It will be in the Adult Fiction section of the bookstore.

Five years after he had his neice and nephew out to Palm Springs to mourn the death of his best friend and their mother, Patrick is doing well. His career, which had stalled, has picked up again, and he’s been in a few movies. And his brother met someone – an Italian marchesa – and is getting remarried. Which means Guncle Patrick is needed again. In the wake of breaking up with his boyfriend, Emory, Patrick takes Maisie and Grant around Europe as he tries to teach them (somewhat hypocritcally) about love.

There’s more to the book than that, or it wouldn’t be as delightful as it is, but it’s also that simple: Patrick, Maisie, and Grant need to learn that moving on, while hard, is also a part of life. And loving more people doesn’t erase the ones they loved that have passed on.

Much like Guncle, it’s not a hilarous book, though it certainly exudes charm. I adored that they stopped in Paris, Salzburg, and Vienna on their way to Lake Como, and the way they interacted then. While I do have an issue with Patrick thinking he’s “old” at age 50 (really? Not. Old.), I didn’t mind his melancholy griping (I might feel old, too, if my partner was 20 years younger than me). This is an incredibly character-driven book, and the characters are absolutely people you want to spend time with.

Highly recommended.

Audio Book: All Boys Aren’t Blue

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by George M. Johnson
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is some swearing, including a few f-bombs. There is also a graphic depiction of sexual assault and some on-page sex. It’s in the Teen Issues section of the bookstore.

In the wake of Nex Benedict’s death, and at the end of Black History month, I decided it was time to listen to this one, which I’ve had on my TBR pile since it came out in 2020. Nominally, Johnson’s memoir of a childhood growing up in a loving Black family while questioning his sexuality and gender, All Boys Aren’t Blue tackles both the feeling of being on the outside because one can’t conform to traditional ideas of what gender is, and feeling loved and included by one’s family. Johnson frames much of his childhood through the lens of trauma – from being beat up when he was 5 by neighborhood bullies to his sexual assault by a cousin – but also reinforces the idea that his family loved and accepted him (mostly) unconditionally.

I think this is an important book, and one that is most definitnely needed. I believe that Johnson’s voice is one that should be heard and respected. Was it a good book, though? Maybe? He was, however, not a good narrator. He was earnest, but often stiff and inelegant in his delivery. I think I would have liked this one a lot better had I read it rather than listening to it. That said, I’m glad it’s out there, for kids to find and hopefully help them navigate the waters of growing up.

Canto Contigo

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by Jonny Garza Villa
First sentence: “I want to grab this guitar by the neck and smash it on the floor.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: April 9, 2024
Review copy sent by the publisher.
Content: There is a lot of swearing, in both English and Spanish, and a number of f-bombs. There is also fade-to-black sex and some teenage drinking. It will be in the Teen (grades 9+) of the bookstore.

Rafie was raised to be a Mariachi singer. His father was one, and his beloved grandfather was one. He’s been the star of the North Amistad High School’s award-winning Mariachi band for three years. And then his life fell apart: his abuelo died and his parents uprooted and moved to San Antonio. Rafie is upset and devastated, especially when the school he’s being sent to is the perpetual Number two to his Number one. He’s grieving, he’s alone, and then the absolute kicker: he’s no longer the lead singer of a Mariachi band.

This is the story of how Rafie finds his way, finds love, and learns to trust other people.

I really liked this one. I love the way Villa is writing about LGBTQ people inside of Mexican culture and challenging the hyper-masculinity of it. The perpetual Number two – Todos Colores – is a very gay Mariachi band: they have trans men and women and proudly gay people in the band, and they embrace it. They are pushing against the cultural stereotypes that Mariachi’s a man’s world. I also appreciated following Rafie’s grieving process. There was a bit of magical realism which was done incredibly well. I also appreciated that the conflict was all internal: Rafie’s parents were incredibly supportive and loving.

Villa is definitely quickly becoming one of those authors whose books I will read, no matter what.

The Apartment House on Poppy Hill

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by Nina La Cour
illustrated by Sonia Albert
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
First sentence: “1106 Wildflower Place was what many considered to be a perfect building, plunked right in the middle of Poppy Hill, a not entirely perfect hill but a good one all the same.”
Content: There are three sections of short chapters. It’s in the Middle Grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore, but I’m considering suggesting it move down to the Beginning Chapter (grades 1-2) section instead. I think it fits better there.

Ella has lived at the apartments at Poppy Hill her whole life, and she knows almost everything about her neighbors and the building. So, when newcomers Leo and Cleo move in, Ella is there to show them the ropes. The only thing she doesn’t know: much of anything about the Robinsons, the older couple who live in the topmost apartment.

Much like most beginning chapter books, this one is light on plot but leans heavily into charm and character. You meet all the neighbors through our very competent main character, Ella, and there is a very charming assortment of quirky neighbors. Eventually, in the third section, you meet the Robinsons, who are equally charming and delightful.

That’s all there is, which is fine when you’re 7. In fact, I think many seven-year-olds will really like this one.

Heartstopper Volume 5

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by Alice Oseman
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4
Content: There is a handful of swearing, including a few f-bombs. There is also some fade-to-black sex. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

It’s the end of Nick’s year 12 and Charlie’s year 11, and they’re starting to think about the Future. Not just the future together – will they or won’t they have sex (spoiler: they do) – but the actual future, since Nick is looking at going away to college.

It’s just the next stage of Nick and Charlie’s relationship – learning how to be individuals in a partnership, and learning how to become their best selves. I liked that there was a lot of communication going on: between Nick and Charlie, yes, but also between the parents and the kids and all the friends. It helps to have a good support system, especially when you, like Charlie, have an eating disorder that you’re trying to manage.

I wish I had read these back to back; although I do love being back with Nick and Charlie, I also find myself a bit disconnected from it all. I’ve had this one sitting on my TBR pile for weeks since it came out, and I wasn’t overeager to read it, like I was when it first came out. From what Oseman said, volume 6 will be the last one, and I can sense the story coming to an end. I have liked these, though, and I appreciate that they exist in the world.

Skating on Mars

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by Caroline Huntoon
First sentence: “Time with Katya, my figure skating coach, is in high demand.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There is some bullying and misgendering. It’s in the Middle Grade section (graes 3-5) of the bookstore. I read this book for the Cybils, and this reflects my opinion and not that of the whole panel.

All Mars wants to do is skate. They feel the most at home on the ice, especially since their dad’s death. But, things off the ice aren’t simple: they haven’t come out to their family as nonbinary, their best friend is making new friends that aren’t terribly accepting of Mars, and they might have a crush on a girl at the skating rink. It’s a lot for a 12-year-old to handle. And when they decide to skate in the men’s division of a competition, that makes everything they thought they were holding in come spilling out.

I liked this one a lot! I liked the portrayal of Mars as an enby kid, and the way it was expressed. I liked that their mom was supportive, once she found out, and all the conflit and drama was centered around figure skating and the binary way the sport is structured. I liked the relationships Mars had, and the realistic ups and downs they went through. And I never felt like Huntoon was simplifying or dumbig thigns down for the audience.

A solid story, good for both people who love to skate and for those who want a book from a nonbinary perspective.

Audiobook: Gwen & Art Are Not in Love

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by Lex Croucher
Read by: Alex Singh & Sarah Ovens
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is swearing, including multiple f-bombs, and talking about an older teenager getting drunk. It’s in the Teen section (grades 9+) of the bookstore.

Gwen is a princess in Camelot (not that Gwen, though), and the only thing she does NOT want to do is marry her betrothed, Arthur. She’d much rather spend her days in her routine, and pine after Lady Bridget Leclair, the first lady knight. It’s a good thing she discovers that Arthur feels much the same about their marriage as she does, primarily because he likes boys, and is developing a crush on Gwen’s brother Gabriel. 

There are other plot points in this book – like the threat of unrest by the “cultist” (the people who think that there really used to be magic back in Arthurian times), and some personal growth on the part of both Gwen and Arthur, but mostly it’s just four queer teens romping about in medieval England. 

And you know what? That was a ton of fun. It’s kind of like a queer A Knight’s Tale – not especially historically accurate, but a lot of fun anyway. I loved the narrators and the changing perspectives, and it was just a lot of fun to listen to. Plus: it is a spin on the Arthurian tale, which I’m always here for. 

Highly recommended. 

Audiobook: Bookshops & Bonedust

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by Travis Baldree
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Others in the series: Legends & Lattes
Content: There is swearing, including many f-bombs, and some violence. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

In this prequel to Legends & Lattes, Viv finds herself injured and unexpectedly laid up due to an injury in the seaside town of Murk. She’s accustomed to being active, so having to convalesce is not something she wants to do. In her wandering around the down, she discovers a run-down bookshop whose owner, Fern, struggles to make ends meet. Viv discovers the benefit of knowing a good bookseller (!) and falls into a friendship with Fern. She also has a sweet summer romance with a baker in town. And, on top of everything, there’s a mysterious man in gray who leaves behind (well – he dies, so kinda) a bag full of bones that turns out to be a homunculus named Satchel.

Like the first one, not much happens in this book. (Granted, more happens in this than in the first one.) But, it’s still sweet, charming, super cozy, and enjoyable. The characters are fun, and the world Baldree has created is clever. I have really come to enjoy his narration as well; it’s incredibly engaging. So, no, there’s not a lot of plot in these, but they are so much fun to listen to. 

Audiobook: Legends & Lattes

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by Travis Baldree
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is some violence. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

Viv, an orc barbarian, is tired of being a hired thief-assassin, and so hangs up her sword (somewhat literally) and opens a coffee shop in the town of Thune. She’s starting from scratch: no one in the town has heard of the gnomish drink, and so she and the group of friends she collects once this project starts set out to create a spot. There are problems including a mafia boss to win over and a former companion who is convinced Viv has something extremely valuable. But, mostly, it’s a book about starting over, making friends, finding love, and a good cup of coffee with an excellent pastry.

The subtitle of this book is “A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes” and that pretty much sums it up. Not much happens. Even the problems don’t amount to much. But, it was delightful to listen to. Baldree did an excellent job narrating his book, and I was delighted to listen as they invented iced drinks, cinnamon rolls, biscotti, and chocolate croissants. So, no, nothing happened. But it was incredibly enjoyable anyway.