Tag / bookrecommendations

by booksoverlookedblog

Read with Pride: June Book Recommendations

Before we get into June’s book recommendations, I just want to let everyone know that there won’t be a book list for July, and possibly not one for August. As a children’s librarian, summer is my busiest time of the year. Much as I wanted to create a book recommendation list for every month this year, I’m a little overwhelmed right now and it’s just not in the cards. 

June is my favorite month for many reasons: my birthday, the start of summer, and many good memories I have of school ending. June is also  Pride Month! First established in 1999, Pride Month commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riots that are often used to mark the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States. LGBTQIA+ rights have come a long way since then, but it is still an uphill battle, particularly for the trans and nonbinary community. 

I live in Florida, which has passed extreme anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, including the infamous “Don’t Say Gay” law (which recently was extended to eighth grade); HB 1521, which regulates bathroom use; and SB 245, which bans gender-affirming care for trans minors and allows the state to remove children from their families if they receive gender-affirming care.  The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQIA+ group in the U.S., has even issued a travel advisory for  individuals traveling to Florida.

I am obviously disgusted and enraged by the bigotry and cruelty present in these new laws, and my heart breaks for the trans and nonbinary community. I often feel frustrated and small, and that there should have been something more I could have done to stop this from happening. 

One way I can fight back is through my job. I’m a public librarian, which means that (for now) I don’t have the same restrictions on talking about gender and orientation as school staff do. At the time of this writing, public libraries also don’t have the same restrictions on what books people can have access to. I take my job very seriously. I feel that I have a responsibility to help fill the gaps that kids and teens no longer have easy access to. 

I do a lot of the ordering for YA books at my library, and I’m really pleased to see that there is a lot more LGBTQIA+ representation than there has been in the past. Certainly much more than when I was a teen, and more positive representation as well! Queer and non-binary characters are no longer relegated to being one-off jokes, side-kicks, or dying gruesomely, but are fully realized characters whose orientation or gender identity does not define them. 

There are still many areas where LGBTQIA+ fiction is lacking. For example, I’ve come across way more books about trans boys than trans girls, and very few books have asexual characters as the lead. Also, the majority of LGBTQIA+ fiction I come across is contemporary romance. I think all of these things will improve with time, but it’s the last one I want to talk about right now. There’s nothing wrong with contemporary romance, of course, though it’s not my favorite thing to read. There still isn’t a large amount LGBTQIA+ representation in genre fiction (though it’s improving!), which is disappointing. Queer and nonbinary individuals should still be able to see themselves in their favorite genres – historical, fantasy, sci-fi…and yes, even contemporary romance, if you insist. 

For the fiction half of this list, I’m focusing on genre fiction. Because you know what’s better than two boys finding true love? Two boys finding true love IN SPACE!

Nonfiction

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

This Book is Gay has the honor of being one of the most challenged books in the U.S. for two years running, for “LGBTQIA+ content” and “providing sex education.” Dawson’s book seeks to educate both queer and straight teens on same-sex relationships, including the physical aspects of those relationships. But sex is far from the only thing this book covers. It’s got everything from coming out, dating apps, discussions of queer culture, and the downsides of being LGBTQIA+. The breezy, upbeat writing is frequently witty and always informative, and black and white cartoons add humor into even the hardest topics the book covers, like harassment and discrimination. But I honestly can’t describe this book any better than the summary itself: “There’s a long-running joke that, after coming out as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex person, you should receive a membership card and instruction manual. This is that instruction manual. You’re welcome.” 

The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality by Julie Sondra Decker

While there is much better queer representation in the media today, asexuality is an orientation that often gets left out. It’s also frequently misunderstood, or treated as a joke. Because of this, it can be difficult for someone on the asexual spectrum to understand their orientation or have it be taken seriously.  It can be a huge relief to find the right word to describe yourself, and know that you’re not the only one who feels this way. The Invisible Orientation discusses asexuality and other ace-spectrum orientations, while emphasizing fluidity and that asexuality can change over time. It also addresses myths about asexuality, that being asexual is healthy and not the result of a physical or mental illness, and includes a chapter for friends and family of asexual people. I’ve known for awhile now that I’m on the ace spectrum, and while the label doesn’t matter to me much anymore, seeing myself in this book made me feel validated in a way I’d never been. 

Say it with me: we’re here, we’re queer, we don’t wanna touch your rear!

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

You’ve probably heard of Gender Queer before: maybe because it’s a Stonewall Honor Book, or maybe because it’s been the most frequently challenged book in the U.S. for the past two years. Gender Queer is a graphic novel that chronicles Maia Kobabe’s (e/eir/em) journey from childhood to adulthood, as e discovers eirself as nonbinary and asexual. The book starts in Maia’s childhood, and covers eir confusion about eir orientation, gender identity, and dating. Even after Maia discovers that e is gender queer, eir journey continues with coming out to friends and family, changing pronouns, and coming into eir own as a nonbinary person. This is a great choice for older teens and adults who are nonbinary, or seek to understand what it means to be nonbinary. 

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

Richard and Sasha’s paths probably would have never crossed if not for the 57 bus, which runs between Sasha’s middle class home Oakland’s foothills, and Richard’s crime-riddled community in the flatlands. Agender teen Sasha fell asleep on the bus, and woke to find their skirt in flames. The fire was set by Richard, and left Sasha with severe burns. Sasha’s recovery would require a lengthy hospital stay, multiple surgeries, and months of follow-up treatments. Richard was arrested and charged with two felonies and two hate crimes, potentially facing life in prison. The 57 Bus tells both Sasha’s and Richard’s stories: Sasha’s love of language and all things Russian, discovering their gender identity, and life after a devastating attack; Richard as a troubled kid trying to turn his life around, despite many obstacles. The book examines prejudice, discrimination, and even danger faced by  individuals, as well as the injustices of the juvenile justice system. 

Queerstory: An Infographic History of the Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights, published by Tiller Press, with forward by Linda Riley.

Queer history in the United States didn’t begin with Stonewall, and it didn’t end with the legalization of same-sex marriage. You can find a number of books about LGBTQIA+ history – especially if you’re looking for information about Stonewall or the AIDS Crisis – but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. If you’re just looking for a quick overview of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement, a jumping-off point for more in-depth learning, or a very colorful way to learn queer history, then Queerstory will not disappoint. Loaded with illustrations, timelines, brief biographies, and facts, Queerstory presents LGBTQIA+ history in a visually appealing and digestible way. While not as in-depth as other books on queer history, the colorful presentation and infographic format add a splash of fun into what is often a weighty topic.

Fiction

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Lea wasn’t just Rumi’s sister. Lea was Rumi’s best friend, the other half of her soul. Writing songs with her was one of the greatest joys of Rumi’s life. Lea understood Rumi in a way that no one else did, like how Rumi felt left behind when her friends started dating and she just doesn’t understand why romance has to be such a big deal for everyone but her. When Lea is killed in an accident, Rumi is lost, unsure of what to do with her life without her sister in it. Her distant mother, consumed by grief, sends Rumi from their home in Washington to live with her aunt in Hawaii. Rumi navigates her grief, survivor’s guilt, and deep rage over her sister’s death and mother’s abandonment, while trying to understand her asexuality and complete the last song she and Lea would ever write together. At first, she wants nothing to do with Hawaii or her new neighbors – Kai, the cheerful boy next door, and the curmudgeonly Mr. Watanabe. But maybe, with their help, she can find her way back to the music that she once loved so much. 

Dreadnought by April Daniels

Danny Tozer has known for a long time that she’s a girl, even if she has a boy’s body. She’s afraid to come out as trans, but her secret’s out when the world’s greatest superhero, Dreadnought, falls out of the sky. Dying, Dreadnought transfers his superpowers to Danny, giving her super strength, flight, and the body she always wanted. Transitioning suddenly and gaining superpowers makes life a little complicated: Danny’s vitriolic and verbally abusive father is looking for a way to “cure” her; the Legion Pacifica of superheroes are in disagreement if Danny should be the new Dreadnought; even Danny’s best friend has abandoned her. “Caping” with fellow superhero Calamity helps Danny escape from her civilian troubles. The girls start small, but Danny is determined to track down Utopia, the super villain who killed Dreadnought. Danny doesn’t feel that she deserves the gift that he gave her, and this is how she can repay him. Yet as her journey as a trans girl and a superhero go on, she comes to understand that she deserves Dreadnought’s mantle – and more – as much as he did. 

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Melinda Lo

It’s 1954, and seventeen-year-old Lily struggles to find a place where she belongs. While other girls her age are worrying about boys, Lily instead dreams of working at the Jet Propulsion Lab, like her aunt. She and her classmate Kath connect over an ad for a male impersonator at the lesbian bar, The Telegraph Club, and both girls’ lives are forever changed.  Lily gradually realizes she is a lesbian and falls in love with Kath, but following her heart is a huge risk. McCarthyism is in full-swing, and Chinese-Americans like Lily and her family could face deportation if they are accused of being Communist sympathizers. Being a lesbian only adds to the danger.  Lily learns how to switch between ostensibly straight, Chinatown Lily and Telegraph Club Lily. But when the two halves of her life collide, she will have a difficult choice to make that will change everything. 

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

Ambrose Cusk wakes to find himself in space, but he has no memory of a launch. Apparently, he was injured in an accident at launch and has been in a coma for weeks. Even so, Ambrose remembers his mission clearly: he is being sent to Saturn’s moon, Titan, to rescue his sister. He’s also surprised to find that he is not alone on the ship. Spacefarer Kodiak Celius is from Demokratia, the country locked in a cold war with Ambrose’s home country, Federacion. At first Kodiak keeps his distance, but Ambrose gradually draws him out of his chosen seclusion. As their journey progresses, both boys discover that there’s something sinister happening on board. Why can’t they get in touch with mission control? Is the ship’s AI telling them the truth about Ambrose’s sister? These two sworn enemies must work together to discover the deadly secrets being kept hidden from them, at the same time coming to understand each other in the stark isolation of outer space. 

On a personal note, I recommend that you don’t read this on your lunch break at work. Once your break is over you’ll have to go back to work and try to be normal and not act like you’ve just been emotionally destroyed at the hands of a paperback. 

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

In the beginning, Sol and Tierra made the gods: the “powerful but vain” Golds, the “kind but focused” Jades, and the “passionate but selfish” Obsidians. But Sol and Tierra loved humans the most, and the jealous Obsidians turned them into mindless slaves. Sol sacrificed their body to protect humans, leaving the Sun Stones behind. Every ten years, the Sunbearer Trials are held, in which the children of the gods, or semidioses, compete to be chosen as the Sunbearer who will rekindle the Sun Stones. The loser of the trials has the dubious honor of being sacrificed to fuel them for another decade. Teo, the trans son of the goddess of birds, has no interest in the Trials. As a Jade surrounded by more talented Gold peers, he’s certain he’ll never be picked. But he and his best friend, Niya, must both compete against each other in the Trials, alongside Aurelio, Teo’s old friend turned enemy. Then there’s Xio, the thirteen-year-old trans son of the god of bad luck. No matter the outcome, Teo and Niya are determined to protect Xio from being sacrificed. The Hunger Games meets Mexican mythology in a lush, queer positive fantasy.

by booksoverlookedblog

Black History Month: February Book Recs

Welcome to my February book list! Each month, I’ll be bringing you a fresh list of books all based on a different theme. 

February is Black History Month in the United States, and that’s a vast subject area. Black history in the U.S. didn’t begin in 1776, and it didn’t end with Obama’s election. For this reason, I wanted to include some Black history that isn’t discussed frequently, and maybe a couple things you’ve never heard of. 

I also wanted to highlight Black authors and illustrators. I can’t possibly list every author or illustrator worthy of reading, but if you’re interested in reading more multicultural literature from Black authors and artists, might I recommend…

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Kwame Alexander, Ashley Bryan, Bryan Collier, R. Gregory Christie, Christopher Paul Curtis, Leo & Diane Dillon, Edwidge Danticat, Sharon Draper, Roxane Gay, Nikki Giovanni, Nikki Grimes, Virginia Hamilton, Victor LaVelle, Julius Lester, E.B. Lewis, Kekla Magoon, Patricia McKissack, Christopher Myers, Walter Dean Myers, Kadir Nelson, Nnedi Okorafor, Jerry Pinkney, Jason Reynolds, Christian Robinson, Javaka Steptoe, John Steptoe, Nic Stone, Mildred Taylor, Rita Williams-Garcia, Colson Whitehead, and Jacqueline Woodson. 

Now, the usual disclaimer. I am a youth librarian, which means I’m most familiar with books written for young people. This means you’ll see a lot of YA and juvenile books on these lists. If you’re an adult looking for something good to read, don’t feel bad or embarrassed about reading youth books. Juvenile and YA books deal with themes and ideas that are applicable to all ages, even if the text isn’t as challenging as books written for adults. And there’s no age limit on good stories. 

I also want to remind everyone that not every book will appeal to everyone. You may hate a book that I love, and that’s okay. Not liking a book doesn’t mean that the book is bad, it just means that you don’t like it. I’ll try to appeal to a wide range of interests, but I don’t expect for you to love or even be interested in everything on this list. There’s a reader for every book, and every book has a reader. I’d love to help readers and books find each other! 

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

While the USA has come a long way in terms of liberty and justice for all, there are still miles and miles to go. The New Jim Crow discusses mass incarceration of Black Americans, typically due to policies from Reagan’s “War on Drugs” and other anti-drug crusades that target people of color, especially young Black men. Being labeled as a felon allows for legal discrimination in housing, education, careers, and even the basic right to vote. Michelle Alexander posits that this has led to the creation of an “undercaste” of Black Americans, legally disenfranchised by the justice system. Originally published in 2010, The New Jim Crow has inspired activists to work to change the American justice system, including the creation of The Marshall Project and the Art for Justice Fund. One thing that I really appreciated about this book was that Alexander acknowledges that the information is hard to read and accept, and that the book’s not for everyone. These are hard but important truths to learn, but nothing can be changed until it’s acknowledged and challenged. 

One Last Word: Wisdom of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes, various illustrators. 

The Harlem Renaissance produced some of the United States’ most iconic musicians, artists, actors, and writers. One Last Word is a poetry collection that celebrates the work of writers from the Harlem Renaissance, like Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Georgia Douglas Johnson, and many more. Alongside the original poem, Grimes remixes the work using the golden shovel method. She creates new poems from the originals, filled with truth and hope for modern readers. Vivid illustrations from accomplished artists accentuate each page. If you’re a poetry lover of any kind, this is a must read. 

The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James

The Haitian Revolution with the most successful slave rebellion in history. It was the only one that led to the creation of a country free of enslavement, and ruled by formerly enslaved people. The widespread political, economic, and cultural effects of the Haitian Revolution still echo today. Written in 1938, The Black Jacobins by Trinidad historian C.L.R. James set outs to correct the White, Euro-centric histories that marginalized or dismissed the Revolution. The Black Jacobins gives a thorough account of the Haitian Revolution. Its central figure is Toussaint Louverture. Born into slavery, Louverture became a central figure in the Revolution, as a general, politician, and unifying symbol for Haitians. This book is essential when learning about Haitian and Caribbean history. 

The Highwaymen: Florida’s African-American Landscape Painters by Gary Monroe

The Highwaymen were a group of 26 Black landscape painters in Florida in the 1950s and 60s. They painted idealized images of Florida’s landscape: palm trees swaying in the breeze, white sand beaches, sunrise by the ocean. Segregation was deeply ingrained in Florida, and galleries refused to sell Black artists’ paintings. Instead, the Highwaymen (and one Highwaywoman) sold their paintings from door-to-door and out of the trunks of their cars. This enabled the artists to make independent livings with their paintings, away from the back-breaking work in the citrus groves. Monroe’s book tells the story of the Highwaymen, alongside full-color reproductions of their paintings. Published in 2001, the book doesn’t tell the Highwaymen’s more recent history. In 2004, they were recognized in the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, and in 2020, they won the Florida Folk Heritage Award. Today, 18 original paintings hang in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson.

This children’s book is written in the style of a grandparent telling their grandchild the history of the United States. It starts with the fact that Black folks have been in the United States just as long as White colonists, but are rarely depicted in national history. It tells the story of the struggles and triumphs Black Americans faced, covering the Revolutionary War up to the Civil Rights Movement. An epilogue depicts the storyteller voting for Barack Obama. The text is informative and accessible, even when dealing with heavy topics. The illustrations are powerful, gorgeous full-page paintings. George Washington on a horse while an enslaved man stands beside him is one of the most poignant images that you’ll remember long after you close the book. 

Fiction

Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis

Feisty, chain-smoking Mare is anything but a conventional grandmother. Octavia and Tali, her teenage granddaughters, are mortified to be seen with her. Going on a cross-country trip with Mare at the wheel is the last thing they want to do during their summer. Mare makes a deal with them for the trip: she won’t smoke, and they won’t use their “earphones.” As the miles pass, Mare tells the girls her story: growing up in segregated Alabama, running away from home at age 17 to pursue a better life, and lying about her age to join the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. Mare shares her experiences of life in 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion – the only battalion of Black women who served overseas in World War II. In alternating chapters of “Then” and “Now,” Octavia and Tali come to understand the experiences that shaped their grandmother, the family bond they share, and the same strengths and insecurities they share with Mare…and that it’s not so bad to be like their grandma. 

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

In 1910, the Davenports are one of Chicago’s few wealthy Black families. As such, siblings Olivia, John, and Helen, are constantly under scrutiny. They must uphold the legacy that their formerly enslaved father built. Olivia thinks her successful courtship with Jacob, England’s most eligible Black bachelor will do the trick. That is, until she meets a civil rights activist who makes her question her privileged upbringing and shows her the horrors of Jim Crow. John and Helen are more focused on fixing horseless carriages, while Helen chafes at the limited roles women have in society. Alongside the siblings, Olivia’s best friend hatches a plan to marry John, and the siblings’ childhood friend and maid dreams of starting her own business. The book examines racism, gender norms, and classism in the often overlooked Reconstruction Era. The characters are passionate, take-charge women, and there’s plenty of romantic moments (and a couple love triangles) to swoon over.

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

AO (Anwuli Okwudili, but she prefers “Artificial Organism”) has extensive bionic augmentations as a result of severe physical disabilities. These augmentations include artificial legs, mechanical hands, and even a brain implant.  AO accepts these augmentations as a necessary part of her life and who she is. However, the world does not see it this way. There are many who see her as a devil, more machine than woman. When an altercation at the market leaves two men dead, AO must flee. She meets a Fulani herdsman, DNA, who has been falsely labeled as a terrorist. Together, they travel across the desert to the Red Eye: a perpetual sandstorm where the wind can strip your bones clean, and the only place they might find safety. Nigerian-American Nnedi Okorafor is the master of Africanfuturism, with books like Akata Witch and the Binti trilogy. If you’re interested in sci-fi, she needs to be on your radar. 

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Rashad is Black, Quinn is White, and though they got to the same school, neither boy knows the other’s name. A quick stop to a corner store on the way to the party pushes their lives together in ways they never expected or wanted. Quinn witnesses a police officer brutally beating Rashad, with little or no provocation. The narration follows both boys after the event. Rashad, recovering in the hospital, wants to be left alone to focus on his art. He doesn’t want the painful attention that comes with being the latest Black victim of police brutality. Quinn is troubled as well: the police officer is a surrogate father to him, and Quinn would have never imagined that he was capable of such violence. The large-scale issues of racism, power, and injustice are integrated seamlessly into the narrative. All American Boys was one of the most frequently challenged or banned books in 2020, for reasons including being “too much of a sensitive matter right now.” Speaking for myself, any book that makes the Top 10 most challenged books is a book I want to read.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

It’s 1968, and Delphine and her younger sisters are spending a month in California with their estranged mother, Cecile. They expect a warm welcome and a visit to Disneyland, but their trip to Oakland is nothing like they imagined. Cecile, a poet and member of the Black Panthers, resents the intrusion into her life. Instead of the mothering the girls are hoping for, she sends them to a nearby summer camp run by the Black Panthers. During the summer, Delphine participates in a Black Panther rally and becomes a young activist, all the while yearning for a true connection with the mother who left her. I love this middle-grade book for its memorable characters (particularly Delphine’s strong voice), a broader and more honest depiction of Black Panthers than typically seen in media, and the unique backdrop of 1960s Oakland.