We would like to apologize in advance for all the heartache your about to experience. This is an intense list of intense books, we hope you’re ready for it! (Although you did ask for YA books, we tried to make a comprehensive list which includes New Adult/Adult books as well.)
YAY okay so my goodreads read list is here so like, that’s got a bunch of stuff (I’ve rated everything there and written some reviews, nearly everything I’ve read since starting using goodreads is LGBT YA) but I figure I will give you five specific recs. A lot of these deal with Issues so ask if you need me to try and do content warnings?
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman - Oh My God this book is so incredible? It’s not a romance story, but it’s got a bi girl lead and is an amazing story about fandom, and shared creation and the struggle of growing up. The characters are wonderful, I loved this so much. I was in a bookstore yesterday and had to resist buying multiple copies just to give people who I think should read it.
Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee - This book is so FUN and INTERESTING and such great characters. This is a Superhero book set in the future, our lead (who is bi and Asian American) is the child of two Superheroes who just wants to be super herself… and then starts an internship with their nemesis. This has a great mix of heart and action-adventure, and I love the ensemble (especially Bells, one of her two BFFs who is a black trans guy and has a huge crush on their other BFF <3).
You Know Me Well by Nina Lacour and David Levithan - I LOVE FRIENDSHIP STORIES I mean, there is also romance and stuff, but at it’s heart this is a story about two young queer people who meet and have a really intense friendship from the off, set over pride week in San Francisco. It’s a friend-love story.
My Year Zero by Rachel Gold - This is such a lovely book, about finding yourself, and isolation, and how easy it is to fall for something that seems incredible on the surface but isn’t inside. Jewish lesbian MC, and it’s about a group writing a collaborative Sci Fi story. The group includes multiple bi people, and nerdery and finding the lines between the story and their lives a complex thing
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - trying to decide one more was tough and then made me realise I hadn’t put this book on my account there. This has an ace lead which is so cool to see. It’s a story about a boarding school for kids who have been kicked out of their portal fantasy - so like, the kids who went to places like Narnia, Neverland, Wonderland, but now can’t get back and are supposed to go back to their lives, this is where they end up. It’s actually a novella, so a quick read, and one of the secondary characters is trans and he is <3 so another reason to read!
I could rec SO MUCH MORE but that’s why I linked to my Good Reads up top (like omg I just read “Not Otherwise Specified" last night and black bi girl recovering from eating disorder who is a passionate performer it is SO GOOD shh no *you* sneaked another rec in) but trying not to overload.
Some look forward to fall because of the promise of pumpkin spice lattes
and cooler weather, but I’m here for the books. After reading through my summer 2016 selections,
I realized two of my favorite reading experiences were missing from it:
vampires and short stories. I’ve made up for it with this list. My
picks are still eclectic, with a mix of genres, and continue to be a mix
of big buzz books and quieter, under-the-radar novels that piqued my
interest. Here are 16 new releases to read for fall 2016.
What’s better than books? Books with perfectly paired craft cocktails. I’m over at @bookriot today sharing my favorite recent fantasy reads plus boozy drinks to enjoy with them.
If you want to know more about the silent powers of introverts, try Susan Cain’s Quiet. If you want to feel completely understood, then Tell the Wolves I’m Home
might be just the book for you. No matter what you’re looking for — or
if you just like things a little on the quiet side — take a look at this
list of 14 books all introverts should read.
Today, June 27th, 2016, marks the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release of Labyrinth, the magical Jim Hensen movie starring David Bowie and produced by George Lucas.
It’s a fantastical story of a teenage girl’s nightmare’s come to life, in which Sarah wishes for the Goblin King to take away her annoying baby brother who she is always forced to babysit - but of course when it happens, realizes she didn’t want that outcome at all and must go rescue him by journeying to the center of the labyrinth.
Of course readers should definitely check out many of the books on Sarah’s bookshelves and other classics that inspired the movie - Maurice Sendak, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, The Grimm fairy tales, The Nutcracker - but here are some more recent books that fans of Labyrinth might also enjoy!
Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor
These illustrated stories all feature life-altering (though not exactly swoon-worthy) kisses. Drawing inspiration from Rossetti’s The Goblin Market and other folklore to create three delicious stories, Laini Taylor creates three romantic and atmospheric tales.
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B Dunkle
Feisty orphan Kate is taken to be the bride of The Goblin King in this fantasy set during the 19th century, perfect for fans of magic and adventure.
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
Readers who love the mischievous goblin characters of Labyrinth will be swept away in this YA series in the Discworld universe!
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
In this fresh urban fantasy from the magical Holly Black, a brother and sister are swept away in an adventure in the world of Faerie.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
This novel is a fantastical coming-of-age tale combining magic, warfare, politics, and romance.
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
These dark feminist fairy tale reimaginings are have are slightly erotic and definitely sinister, with dashes of horror and lyrical writing.
Stolen Songbird by Danielle L Jensen
A young woman is kidnapped to be the bride of a troll and learns that there’s more than the myths and a rebellion brewing in this magical, romantic adventure.
The Goblin King by Shona Husk
This steamy adult romance novel features a unique twist on Celtic mythology in which a young woman summons a cursed goblin king to save her.
Deathless by Catherynne Valente
In this lyrical and enchanting re-imagining of Russian folklore, master storyteller Cat Valente weaves a tale of a young woman magically transformed into the beautiful bride of a Russian overlord.
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