Hello Friends,
As a kid I would go to the library every week and check out a stack of books almost taller than I was. 
Starting around age 5, I had a book on me at all times, content to read through any boring class at school, doctors appointment or voice lesson for my sister or brother. I was a voracious reader.
My mom, a Kindergarden teacher who wrote her Masters thesis on children’s literature was thrilled. There was only one problem, I flat out refused to read any books that had anything to do with romance. Getting more and more difficult to avoid as I got older, my mom struggled to find enough quality books that fit into my restrictive criteria and couldn’t understand why the subject most girls my age devoured with a passion had little to no interest on my end.
This isn’t to say I didn’t create my own subtexts to the books I read. The Babysitters Club clearly featured an unspoken ‘deep’ friendship between Kristy and Marianne. I loved strong female characters more interested in each other than boys.
It’s no surprise then, that when the field of queer young adult fiction began to develop when I was in college, I couldn’t stop reading them. Turned out, it wasn’t romance that was the problem, it was the kind of romance all the books in my library at the time depicted.
These days, my friends joke that the best way to get me to read a book/see a movie/watch a tv show is to tell me that there is a queer character in it. Indeed, I have sat through more terrible Netflixed LGBTQIA art films than I ever care to admit. Books are no different. While I may not have had an undergrad degree in English, I am a huge fan and reader of LGBTQIA books and stories. I devour any and all representations of LGBTQIA people in literature with a critical but grateful eye. And I’m excited to now be able to share some of those experiences with you all!
So what are some of your favorite LGBTQIA books? Which ones would you like to see featured in this new column. Let me know in the comments below!
Live Love, Learn,
My favorites are Empress of the World by Sara Ryan, Kissing Kate by Lauren Conrad, and The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth. All of these books got me through my high school and early college experience and helped me when I was questioning my sexuality. Plus they are all just amazing, gorgeous and well written books. Empress of the World has been a long time favorite of mine and I recommend it to everyone.
Bermuda Triangle by Maureen Johnson is my absolute favorite LGBT book. I love how it deals with the flexibility and fluidity of sexuality. Some other favorites are Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David, and Luna & Between Mom and No by Julie Anne Peters
Bermudez Triangle*
Between Mom and Jo*
I unfortunately haven’t read a ton of queer lit yet, but I’m currently obsessed with The Second Mango by Shira Glassman – mostly because, as someone with mixed gender attraction, it appeals to me in every possible way. Also there are dragons. I also like The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer, which is a retelling of the Hades/Persephone myth. Both of them are pretty cheap to download on Kindle!