A Classic "Rec Me..." Post

[laceblade]

As I work on figuring out my gift list for Christmas, I come to Dreamwidth with what is basically the perfect question for this crowd:

Please rec me LGBT books for a 15-year-old girl. She's not super into ~discussing~ things with me, a family member [she has basically acted like a 15yo for the past decade], but this is my attempt at a show of solidarity.

---

SPECIFICS:

• Not super into comics but did read & like Ms Marvel a few years back


• Okay with fantasy & SF but not REALLY their thing [despite my best efforts lol]


• Overall preference for fiction, but she does get super interested in really interesting or WTF historical figures


• Likes: 13 Reasons Why, Pretty Little Liars, Grey's Anatomy, Full House [idk why this show made a comeback on DVDs but here we are], v. into makeup

Have been thinking of Malinda Lo's Ash altho I can't remember for the life of me whether I've already gifted it to this household; were_duck thought When the Moon Was Ours. I'll likely be getting two books.

Comments

[sara]

*rummages through books on 15-y-o lesbian daughter's nightstand, which is relatively non-invasive bc we're roomies*

Hmm...has she read Lumberjanes?

I also bought Herself a copy of the complete Dykes to Watch Out For when she came out, on the principle that she should be familiar with the history of her people.

Herself would probably have a longer list of...well ok she is really into terrible doomed lesbian princess books, which I pretty much can't stand. But if you think terrible doomed lesbian princesses would be a hit, let me know, I can ask when she's back tomorrow.

[laceblade]

I have given her the first two volumes of Lumberjanes! No word on whether she read/liked them, though, >.>

I love DtWO!! Part of me wants to wait to get it for her til she's in college or such, bc so much of that series also = co-living or the kinds of people you find after high school.

I think...I am interested in doomed lesbian princess books! Whether I'll get them for her vs. read them myself remains to be seen...

[sara]

I will admit that I was trying to stave off that phenomenon I have observed where tiny queer people mouth off due to unwitting ignorance and alienate their elders. Also I remember reading lots of back Doonesbury at about that age and learning most of what I know about Watergate from it (relevant again in these trying times!)

[netmouse]

Based on what she likes, I would suggest The Summer Prince, by Alaya Dawn Johnson, and possibly LIAR by Justine Larbalestier. Also, have you tried her on the Uglies series, by Scott Westerfeld?

In terms of Historical figures, I found The FireBrand and the First Lady just fascinating, but it's kind of an intimidating size.

In the trans lit YA genre there is now Dreadnought (Nemesis, #1) by April Daniels.

I believe I was fifteen when I read The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Has pretty adult stuff in it, though.

In just general YA that I recommend, there's also The Stars Beneath Our Feet, by David Barclay Moore. Totally off-topic, but a really good book.

[owlectomy]

"interesting or WTF historical figures" makes me think of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. "Into makeup" makes me think of Everything Leads to You; Nina Lacour also has Hold Still which is a read-alike for 13 Reasons Why but idk if it has any LGBT content.

Other possibilities: Lies We Tell Ourselves, Leah on the Offbeat, The Summer of Jordi Perez...?

[rachelmanija]

YA: The Pearl Thief and Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein. Empress of the World by Sara Ryan. A Love Story Starring my Dead Best Friend, by Emily Horner. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson.

Adult romance but IMO suitable for a 15-year-old, especially the first: I Remember You by H. L. Logan. Set the Stage by Karis Walsh.

All these are mainstream (i.e., non-fantasy) literature. Code Name Verity isn't explicitly queer but I have been told that the prequel, The Pearl Thief, makes it explicit that one of the heroines is bisexual (I haven't read it yet). Those are both historical (1940s) but the rest are contemporary.

[sasha_feather]

You could get her A love story starring my dead best friend! :D

Spinning by Tillie Walden: a graphic memoir about skating and coming out

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

[rilina]

Maybe I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson?

[nicosilang]

Seconding The Summer Prince from above, it's still one of my favorite reads of the last uh decade. But it is super very much SF/F, soooo! SHE CAN DEAL, THOUGH. I'm also forever pushing Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. Some of my classmates here were taking a writing YA class this semester, read Six of Crows for it, and all, without consulting each other, went out and bought Crooked Kingdom immediately because they were so intensely into the characters. Ugh, that's SF/F too. I only read non-genre when my friends write it, okay. And even then only sometimes. Speaking of which: Anger Is a Gift also.

[brainwane]

Hey - how did this set of recommendations go over? Would you still like more?

[laceblade]

When asked whether she liked what I got (When the Moon Was Ours; Tipping the Velvet), "yeah they're great," was the response I received. I'm interpreting that as an 85% probability she hasn't read either yet.
Normally I'd push for a more concrete answer, but her dad/my brother-in-law died in a car accident he was in with her older sister [who's fine excepting some broken bones] mid-January, so I've been pretty hands-off in the realm of being a Pushy Aunt.

THAT SAID, her birthday's coming up at the end of April and I usually default to books because she's not great at articulating what else she might want ;)

[brainwane]

My condolences on the tragedy. How incredibly awful. I'll share my book recs in another thread.

LGBT book recommendations

[brainwane]

I second The Summer Prince.

She may be a bit young for China Mountain Zhang by Maureen McHugh but then again it may be excellent for her, especially if she's feeling very "arghhhh" about career choices.

Interesting historical figures: Twenty Years at Hull House by Jane Addams, who led change and shepherded a community.

And Ursula Nordstrom's letters (Dear Genius) might pique her interest in gossip and the backstage view of famous people's lives.