The GLBT Challenge 2010 : I’m finally in!
The GLBT Challenge 2010 : click here for complete information!
Once upon a time, Amanda suggested the idea of running the GLBT challenge again in 2010, and I immediately screamed “Yes!” after not having had the chance to participate in 2009. I was even more interested by the idea after she decided to run it over a year. And as summer is coming up and my schedule is getting lighter, it seems the perfect time to do it!
I decided to do the Lambda Level, which is 4 books of GLBT authors and topics. I might read more, but better not put too much pressure on myself at first!
In 2010 I decided to mostly drop any challenge I had joined (which weren’t that many anyway) because I’m such a moody reader and wouldn’t complete them anyway. Still, the GLBT challenge is one I wanted to complete because it goes farther than the simple (and fun, I’ll admit) idea of simply reading books of a type or of a category. Participating in the challenge and promoting GLBT literature is also about defending ideas and rights, opening our minds to other people, moving forward as a society. Sure, my participation itself isn’t gonna change the world, but it’s a step I can do by myself, and each step is important.
This being said, here are the books I have on my shelves I know fit the challenge and would love to read :
- Ash by Malinda Lo
- Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Walters
And here are some books I’m thinking of maybe reading for the occasion :
- Annie on my mind by Nancy Garden
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
- The Full Spectrum… (book has very long title), edited by David Levithan and Billy Merrell
- Cycler and Re-cycler by Lauren McLaughlin
- The Sky always hears me and the Hills don’t mind by Kisrtin Cronn Mills
I really wish I hadn’t read Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey yet, because it would be perfect for the challenge and I loved it. Oh, well : I’ll discover other amazing books instead! 😉
So I know there are plenty of lists in the resources category of the challenge’s blog, but I want to know, what GLBT related books did you read and recommend? Any suggestion in any genre or category is welcomed!
Lynn Flewelling writes some. She’s one of my favorites–she writes fantasy.
I heartily recommend Jeanette Winterson’s THE PASSION:
…the fantastical tale of Henri–Napoleon’s cook–and Villanelle, a Venetian gondolier’s daughter who has webbed feet (previously an all-male attribute), works as a croupier, picks pockets, cross-dresses, and literally loses her heart to a beautiful woman…
I adored it!
Good luck with the challenge!
Yay! I’m glad you’re in. 🙂
I’d recommend just about anything by Julie Anne Peters. Some of her books qualify as GLBT topics; some aren’t GLBT topics but she herself is a lesbian so it counts as well. I’ve now read three of her books and she’s such an amazing writer.
Anything by David Levithan! He’s fantastic. Any of Augusten Burroughs’ books would also count. They’re memoirs that I haven’t read yet, but I hear they’re good. His first, Running With Scissors, was made into a movie.
I’m very interested in this challenge too, but 4 books is too many for me in the timeframe. I highly highly recommend Middlesex. It’s my favorite book of all time! 🙂
Brenda : oh, fantasy! I’ll have to look for her books. Thanks for the advice!
Lenore : Wow! That sounds so good, I automatically went and added it to my wish list! Everything about it sounds fantastic!
Kathy : Thanks!
Amanda : I’ll make sure to read her then. I’ve had some of her books on my wishlist for a while, so now is the best time to try one!
Jamie : Great! I’ve heard a lot of good about him too! And I saw the movie Running with Scissors, but never read the book. I wouldn’t have thought of his for the challenge, so thanks!
mee : I know what you need, sometimes it’s really hard to combine time and a certain quantity of reading! I’ve read The Virgin Suicides and LOVED it, so I can’t wait to get to Middlesex.
Annie on my Mind is great. And good luck with Middlesex. I tried to read it. Twice. Just cannot make it through!
Hi Kay, I just wanted to say thanks for posting about this… I’m not even sure how I found my way here, but I was looking for GLBT book resources and had no idea this challenge existed until I saw your post about joining. Enjoy Tipping the Velvet — it was the first book my book group ever read (chosen in part because we thought that reading it on the subway would help us pick up women, and overall a fun choice). If you are interested in memoir, you might want to take a look at my own book, Map. It’s up for a Lamdba Literary Award for Bisexual Nonfiction and is getting some attention from that, but I’m still struggling to get it noticed by YA readers who I think need books like this the most.