Guest Post: a survey of GLBT YA books

Today's guest post is from Andrea at The Little Bookworm. Thanks for your thoughts, Andrea!

***
Almost all of the books I read for the GLBT Challenge are young adult. It's what I read, my genre if you will. So I've put together a list of some great GLBT YA books written in the last decade. I've read almost all of them. Some I will admit I haven't gotten to yet, but they are the list. I will say that this genre of YA has grown considerably in the last decade with it becoming more acceptable for gay teens in books to have uncloseted relationships. It's a good thing that will hopefully get even better.

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez (2001): I haven't actually read this one yet though I have skimmed though parts. Based on that, it's something that I want to read. An exploration of high school life through boys who are in different stages of coming out. There is the openly gay one, the closeted jock, and the one who is in the in-between stage of accepting his sexuality.

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan (2003): An very idealistic work, where the town the main character lives in is openly accepting of gays and the characters are mostly crazy. It's a very sweet and hopeful book.

The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson (2004): Actually one of my favorite books period, this one by the always entertaining Johnson is about three friends, two of whom start dating each other and the havoc this bring to their childhood friendship. Less about a lesbian relationship and more about what happens when two out of three friends start dating.

Between Mom and Jo by Julie Ann Peters (2006): I'm pretty sure Amanda will back me up when I say this is one of the most moving books ever and if you haven't read it yet, get thee to the bookstore or local library. The main character is torn between his two moms when they split up and the thought provoking story of what happens to the kid in the middle of a lesbian divorce and parental rights in that case.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan (2006): A intriguing straight love story surrounded by the main guy's queercore band, one crazy night that all begins with the question "Will you be my girlfriend for the next 5 minutes?" and ends with something amazingly beautiful.

Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby (2007): Alex is gay though no one knows yet. Cleo doesn't like riding dressage though she can't seem to get her mom to understand. But they are brought together by the horse show world and find something they were each missing in each other.

Hero by Perry Moore (2007): One of the more interesting GLBT books I have read involves a gay teenage superhero and his ragtag group of superhero friends. He is trying to hide both his powers and his homosexuality from his disgraced father. But he finds that it's harder to hide yourself than he thinks.

Nothing Pink by Mark Hardy (2008): A sweet novella set in the 1970's about the son of a preacher who tries to hide his homosexuality from his parents, but finds himself fascinated by a new boy at church.

Twelve Long Months by Brian Malloy (2008): I actually own this one but haven't read it yet. It's the story of a girl hopelessly in crush with a guy in her high school. But when they graduate and move to the big city, she finds something out about him that throws her for a loop. He is just experiencing the freedom of being himself for the first time. Can they remain friends?

Ash by Malinda Lo (2009): Modern retelling of the Cinderellas story with a twist. Cinderellas falls in love with the King's Huntress and must figure out how to save herself from her wicked stepmother.

Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz (2009): I haven't yet read this one, but it's high on my list. Tara is friends with Brent and Pinkie. But when Brent sleeps with one of the guy cheerleaders (so goes the rumor) it throws their friendship in chaos. But then a new girl arrives and Tara feels an attraction to her throwing Tara herself for a loop.