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Nominations are now open for our group read that will run through the end of February. Books that were read in the first years of the group are fine to repeat as we have many new members since then, but nominations for books that the group has already read recently will not count.

Anyone can either nominate a book or second a book that has already been nominated. We will be accepting nominations and seconds until January 5. On that day, the eight books with the most number of seconds will go to the poll. Among books with the same number of seconds, choice of which book goes to the poll will be based on which nomination was received earliest.

Please be sure to post the title and author.

Important Rule: Authors may not nominate their own books.

Remember, the authors should be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, or feature significant gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender characters in their work. Queer can be interpreted as broadly as we like.

Any genre (SF/fantasy, horror, romance, mystery), non-fiction, and classics are acceptable. Based on this criteria, we should have plenty of books to choose from. If you are nominating a title that is part of a series, please make sure to nominate the first book, unless we have already read it as a group.

The book discussions will start as soon as poll voting is done and continue through the end of February. This should give everyone sufficient time to obtain and read the books.

Happy nominating!

I want to nominate My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata! Really great looking graphic memoir that I’ve been meaning to read

Rachel wrote: "I want to nominate My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata! Really great looking graphic memoir that I’ve been meaning to read"

Sounds good Rachel!

I'll re-nominate a book that didn't quite make the poll last time: Uncle's Story, a gay-themed book by acclaimed Māori writer Witi Ihimaera (the author of The Whale Rider). It's available on Audible as well, which for me with my commute is a bonus. :)

I want to nominate Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova.

I'd like to nominate The Traitor Baru Cormorant, by Seth Dickinson - a brilliant, intricate political fantasy about a gay protagonist struggling to survive in a homophobic pseudo-Roman empire.

I'd like to nominate Orlando by Virginia Woolf!

I want to nominate Jazz Moon by Joe Okonkwo. It won the debut fiction award this year,

I would like to nominate the book The White Devil by Justin Evans. This book has it all! It is bound to strike a chord on some level with everyone!

I’d like to second Uncle’s Story by Witi Ihemaera. An exceptional read, and the first book that moved me so much I was compelled to contact the author and thank him. He responded and I was subsequently able to hear him speak at the University of Hawai’i’s East-West Center.

Deliciously Wicked

Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

I'd like to suggest The Clothesline Swing by Ahmad Danny Ramadan. It's about a gay Syrian refugee who shares stories from his past with his dying lover while their constant companion Death hovers nearby.

I bought "Are You My Mother?" by Alison Bechdel, and if we read it, I could move it up in my TBR list. :) She's a lesbian and her father was a gay man. It's a graphic memoir.

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Here's the synopsis if you don't want to click through: Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home was a pop culture and literary phenomenon. Now, a second thrilling tale of filial sleuthery, this time about her mother: voracious reader, music lover, passionate amateur actor. Also a woman, unhappily married to a closeted gay man, whose artistic aspirations simmered under the surface of Bechdel's childhood . . . and who stopped touching or kissing her daughter good night, forever, when she was seven. Poignantly, hilariously, Bechdel embarks on a quest for answers concerning the mother-daughter gulf. It's a richly layered search that leads readers from the fascinating life and work of the iconic twentieth-century psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, to one explosively illuminating Dr. Seuss illustration, to Bechdel’s own (serially monogamous) adult love life. And, finally, back to Mother—to a truce, fragile and real-time, that will move and astonish all adult children of gifted mothers.

Rachel wrote: "I want to nominate My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata! Really great looking graphic memoir that I’ve been meaning to read"

I'm very interested in this book as well!

Do I dare suggest Call me by Your Name by Aciman? The author isn't gay and the characters may or may not be gay... but there's the huge coming of age/falling in love/gay romance. I read it and I'm curious what this LGBTQ community thinks of it. It's also timely because the movie is out to critical acclaim (with non-gay actors...)

Second for My Lesbian Experience with loneliness.

Megan wrote: "Do I dare suggest Call me by Your Name by Aciman? The author isn't gay and the characters may or may not be gay... but there's the huge coming of age/falling in love/gay romance. I read it and I'm ..."

This absolutely meets the standard Megan, and I'd love to read it!

Lara wrote: "I bought "Are You My Mother?" by Alison Bechdel, and if we read it, I could move it up in my TBR list. :) She's a lesbian and her father was a gay man. It's a graphic memoir.

..."

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic was fantastic!

I'm all for "Call me by your name" by A. Aciman. The book is a true chef-d'œuvre.

Mehdi wrote: "I'm all for "Call me by your name" by A. Aciman. The book is a true chef-d'œuvre."

Did you want to second it Mehdi?

I'll second My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness.

Allister wrote: "Deliciously Wicked"

I see several books with this title Allister - who is the author of the one you wanted to nominate?

Patricia cornwell. Bone bed. Lucy is lesbian

David wrote: "I'd like to nominate Orlando by Virginia Woolf!"

I second this!

I’d like to second My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness.

Lots of great nominations everyone! - keep them coming! The 8 books with the most number of seconds will go to the poll next week.

I would like to nominate The Heart's Invisible Furies, by John Boyne.

Happy reading and happy new year to you all.

my life as adam
By Bryan Borland

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Human Mike asked me to add the nomination for him by private message: Born Both: An Intersex Life

Why don’t we do a “progressional�� study of gay literature for 2018?

By this, I mean starting off with early writings such as Maurice by E.M. Forster and work our way through to very recent writings. This way, discussions could be held as to how we were portrayed then and how queer authors are portraying ourselves now.

Just a thought.

Grant wrote: "Why don’t we do a “progressional�� study of gay literature for 2018?

By this, I mean starting off with early writings such as Maurice by E.M. Forster and work our way through to very recent writin..."

That's an interesting idea Grant!, but I think with nominations already underway and a lot of nominations already submitted, it's too late to switch mid-stream. I could create a poll next month with some options for changes in the group, and we can vote as a group whether we want to change the group read process. But for January/February, I think we'll stay the course.

Did you want to nominate Maurice though? It's one I still haven't read for some reason, and I'd like to!

Grant wrote: "Why don’t we do a “progressional�� study of gay literature for 2018?

By this, I mean starting off with early writings such as Maurice by E.M. Forster and work our way through to very recent writin..."

I think this a great idea too. What authors and in what order would you include?

This could be done as a challenge, like many other groups I'm in have. We could keep the Group Reads as is. It seems many would rather read current books. Like pop music, reading interests seen most related to the time when one grew up—the teen and college age years.

I'd like to second My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness.

Bill wrote: "Grant wrote: "Why don’t we do a “progressional�� study of gay literature for 2018?

By this, I mean starting off with early writings such as Maurice by E.M. Forster and work our way through to very..."

That sounds lile a great compromise Bill - a challenge or an ongoing buddy read that members can take part in maybe.

Perhaps I could create a new thread where people interested could propose historically significant gay literature, and then we could come up with a list from that?

I would like to second The White Devil

Call Me By Your Name

may i suggest hida viloria's born both. the memoir of this queer, intersex activist.

I'll support Call Me by Your Name.

I'll second Maurice.

Aciman's book is awful. Don't get it why people eat that garbage.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf please.

This is great - a good mix of nominations so far!

In the current top 8, a good mix of genres: a couple classics, some newer literary fiction, a fantasy novel, a thriller, a graphic novel, a memoir. Some gay-themed, some lesbian-themed, one intersex. Japanese, American, English, Maori.

But there's still a few more days for nominations and seconds! Keep them coming!

I want to second Labyrinth Lost.

Second Uncle’s Story

I'll second Born Both!

My lesbian experience with loneliness has my vote. I wanted to read that book for a while now.

I would like to vote for Orlando. (Or is there a poll somewhere? I could not find it, but I am new here!)

David wrote: "I'd like to nominate Orlando by Virginia Woolf!"

I was just given the most beautiful vintage copy of this book and can't wait to dig in to some more Woolf. I would like to nominate it as well!

Erin wrote: "I would like to vote for Orlando. (Or is there a poll somewhere? I could not find it, but I am new here!)"

The poll will be put up when the nominations are closed. A message will be sent to everyone suggesting they vote with a link provided.

A heart-warming, insightful read:


Review:
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