Mandel Public Library Of West Palm Beach: Our LGBTQ+ Favorites

Press release from Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach:

06/22/2021 11:31 AM

Happy Pride Month! We want to share some of our favorite LGBTQ+ stories with you. You'll definitely want to put these on your to-be-read (or watch) piles for June and beyond! Enjoy.

Books

Emily's pick: Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (adult fiction)

A post-apocalyptic story set in the wild west featuring queer spies who are also librarians? Say no more. This book had me right from the cover. The protagonist, Esther, finds herself traveling with a group of secret librarians who deliver resistance reading materials to downtrodden communities across the west. She is also slowly realizing that there are other people like her out there - people who love people who society says you aren't supposed to love. It's a quick read that you won't be able to put down.

Sarah's Picks:

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (adult fiction)

Gideon needs off the Ninth planet. The Ninth House needs a swordsman to accompany their necromancer, Harrow, to a special competition to please the emperor. It's a match made in their worst nightmares. Gideon and Harrow fight to survive as they try to solve a series of mysteries in a crumbling mansion on a strange planet while competing for the favor of their god-emperor. Strap in and hold on because you're in for a serious adventure.

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby (adult non-fiction)

Samantha Irby's unflinchingly honest approach to comedy is back with this collection of playlists, essays, and stream of consciousness rants. Irby covers topics from her chronic illness to her clubbing days to her marriage to her wife and subsequent move to a more rural area from bustling Chicago. At turns brutal, chaotic, and laugh-out-loud hilarious, Irby's latest book is a triumph in comedic writing.

Jennifer's Picks:

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (young adult fiction)

Mateo and Rufus don't know each other, but they have something in common: today is the day they die. After they get calls from Death to tell them the bad news, Mateo and Rufus meet on an app designed for making friends on final days and have an adventure together. It is a heartbreaking yet beautifully uplifting story.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (young adult fiction)

Freshman in college Marin has left her old life behind after her grandfather's death. Her best friend, Mabel, visits her during winter break to try to reconnect, and Marin's story unfolds in flashbacks. It's a story about love, grief, and family that will move you.

Kimi's Pick: The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill (middle grade graphic novel)

Whimsical illustrations tell the story of a young girl named Greta trying to find her own way forward while still preserving history and honoring her family’s legacy. This graphic novel seamlessly integrates diverse characters into the narrative without being heavy-handed. The story features (leading!) queer characters, characters of color, and disabled characters without calling special attention to their inclusion. Thoughtful representation of diversity allows a story to be told without narrowing a character down to just one label. This reads like a child-friendly version of Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, horns and all. I can’t recommend it highly enough for children and adults alike. Like Saga, the illustrations alone make this worth checking this out.

Leah's Pick: The Hammer of Thor/The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan (middle grade fiction)

Riordan introduces readers to a character named Alex Fiero in The Hammer of Thor, part of the Magnus Chase series. Alex, a child of the god Loki, is gender fluid - they decide on any given day what gender they will be. I think Riordan does a good job with Alex. They are a very likable character! My 11-year-old son started off saying "what?!" but then really warmed up to Alex by the last book, The Ship of the Dead. He told me the "ship" (relationship) between Alex and Magnus is the best "ship" he's ever read about - high praise indeed from a tween!

Lena's Pick: Annabel by Kathleen Winter (adult fiction)

Set in a remote area of Canada in 1968, Peter is born intersex. Fragile and strong at the same time, Peter is on a painful quest to discover his true identity. Or it is hers? It is a very moving story that will stay with you for a long time. If you enjoy the book, check out the song "Annabel" by Goldfrapp. The song's black-and-white video was directed by Alison Goldfrapp's romantic partner, filmmaker Lisa Gunning. It follows the adventures of a boy in the countryside who is accepted for his true self by his mother, played by the singer.

Faith's Pick: The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (young adult fiction)

When their school assigns a project to create their own business, Nishat and Flávia both decide to start henna business and become "business rivals." This is a really sweet YA love story about Nishat and Flávia overcoming misunderstandings, teen drama, and their own worries to fall in love. The secondary plot of Nishat coming out to her parents is also super cute!

Films

Ionnie's Pick: Rafiki

Wanuri Kahiu weaves a colorful palate of personalities and textures in this wonderful love story set in Nairobi, Kenya. At first glance, two young women find a surprising likeness within each other. Over time, as they explore their curiosities, they find themselves also responding to the expectations of their culture and community. Rafiki is Swahili for "friend," and in this film, Kahiu tests the boundaries of a budding romance and a deep sense of belonging to survive. Watching these characters re-imagine life as they know it is worth the watch.

Lisa's Pick: Fried Green Tomatoes

This 1991 film adaptation of Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, doesn't make Idgie and Ruth's relationship obvious, but to many, it was a stepping stone to representing queer relationships in popular media. It's a story across time about a housewife who befriends a woman at a nursing home and listens to her stories about growing up in Whistle Stop, Alabama. I love the book and actually requested to watch the movie during the birth of my second child!

This press release was produced by Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach. The views expressed here are the author’s own.