Review- This Book is Gay by James Dawson

This Book is Gay on Goodreads

Hi, everyone! As this book is LGBT, I'm putting it under The Literary Others: An LGBT Reading Event, hosted by the lovely Adam @ Roof Beam Reader. 

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Former PSHCE teacher and acclaimed YA author James Dawson gives an uncensored look at what it's like to grow up as LGBT. Including testimonials from people 'across the spectrum', this inclusive book explores everything anyone who ever dared to wonder wants to know - from sex to politics, how to pull, stereotypes, how to come-out and more. Spike Gerrell's hilarious illustrations combined with funny and factual text make this a must-have read.

Release date: September 4th 2-14

Published by: Hot Key Books

Page numbers: 271

REVIEW: 

The prospect of a book being both informative and fun at once always seemed odd to me, until I started reading This Book is Gay. The book is packed with information and you know what the best part is? It's fun. Fun, in the sense that it'll literally make you laugh out loud at some instances and also in the sense that for a non-fiction book (pardon my stereotyping), it is not boring at all, so that makes it kinda fun. This Book is Gay is such a good book.

There is so much to learn from this book, and not just in the sense that it will clear misconceptions and make you more aware of everything, but I honestly feel that the book should be used as a handbook or guide to know about homosexuality because it literally has everything you need to know. This book is not just for the LGBTQ community, but I feel it is for everyone because when homosexuals are forced to learn about heterosexuality, why shouldn't heterosexuals know about homosexuality? We're all humans, and for that sole reason, we need to know about fellow humans. And perhaps to be more understanding as well. Simple as that.

This Book is Gay is such a good, informative and fun read in which author James Dawson explains and shares as much as he can and as much as he has researched on LGBTQ. With illustrations, tables and even space to write some stuff, this book is so well done and well made. Some of the illustrations are extremely hilarious, and some of the questions that the author asks are so good that they really need thinking.

I would highly, highly recommend this book, because it'll make you a little wiser and a lot more accepting, hopefully.

Buy the book: AMAZON/ FLIPKART

Review- Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

Beyond Magenta on Goodreads

Hi, everyone! As this book is LGBT, I'm putting it under The Literary Others: An LGBT Reading Event, hosted by the lovely Adam @ Roof Beam Reader. 

 BOOK SUMMARY:

A  2015 Stonewall Honor Book

A groundbreaking work of LGBT literature takes an honest look at the life, love, and struggles of transgender teens.

Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference. Portraits, family photographs, and candid images grace the pages, augmenting the emotional and physical journey each youth has taken. Each honest discussion and disclosure, whether joyful or heartbreaking, is completely different from the other because of family dynamics, living situations, gender, and the transition these teens make in recognition of their true selves. 

Release date: February 11th 2014

Published by: Candlewick Press

Page numbers: 192

REVIEW: 

Beyond Magenta is a book that's written and photographed by Susan Kuklin, who spoke to six transgenders who have shared their absolutely shattering but incredible stories. To know that there are people out there who suffer immeasurably simply for being who they are, is so heart breaking that it brings tears to the eyes. There are honestly no words to describe how raw and rustic this book is. 

Aside from just being a book full of stories where Jessy, Christina, Mariah, Cameron, Nat and Luke share their painful coming of age stories, Beyond Magenta is a powerhouse of knowledge because there is so much to learn from the book. It almost feels like as if, over the years, the word "different" equals bad or unacceptable. But that's clearly not true, because no dictionary defines different as that. Reading this book is like reading a widely acclaimed knowledge book, because it has so much to tell and teach. 

Every story in this book moved me so much that it made me want to hug the person I was reading about. Without even meeting Jessy, Christina, Mariah, Cameron, Nat and Luke, I feel like I know them quite well, and I want to be their friend. Each of their stories was engaging and sad but also very well shared and the latter is so very brave of them all. To know that there are people who might face the same problems as all of them, and to be assured that they will have them all to lean on to, is simply magical. 

Beyond Magenta is an emotional read, and definitely one that is an eye-opener to the world around us.

Buy the book: AMAZON (IN)

Sign-up Post for The Literary Others: An LGBT Reading Event

Hi, everyone! I am so excited that one of my most favourite bloggers, Adam @ Roof Beam Reader is hosting The Literary Others: An LGBT Reading Event again this year. The event takes place in October, and all you have to do is read books written by LGBT writers or that have LGBT characters. 

I had taken part in the event way back in 2012 as well, and I ended up discovering and reading some incredible books that became instant favourites. I hope the same happens this year as well, because this is one of my most favourite themes to read about. 

I sure hope you take part in the event as well, and if you do, make sure you let Adam know by commenting on his main post. 

Now I'm not a hundred percent strict with lists, but I'm going to make a rough one for this year, as that'll give me a great starting point since I do have many LGBT books on my to-read pile. If you do sign up, feel free to add the books on my list, to your list as well. Or just search LGBT on our blog- I've already read and reviewed many of the books. I'm trying to make this quality over quantity, so most of these books are huge, but I've heard nothing but incredible stuff about them. So with four weeks in October, I plan on reading four (hopefully) lovely books. Here's what I have planned (linked to Goodreads): 

*Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

*Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kristin Cornn-Mills

*The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danfort

*Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite by Lianne Simon

Okay, clearly I cannot contain my excitement! Why isn't October here already? I hope you sign up for the event as well. Happy reading, everyone!