Podcasts about lgbtq ya

Are we a book pod now?   Luke and Indigo connect on Zoom with Andrea, a Yellow and Blue faithful listener and crew member. Enjoy some deep and insightful conversations about representation, parenting and LGBTQ+ YA fiction. Not only are there discussions about Alice Oseman's writing but there are also some incredible personalised recommendations of books by amazing authors including: Simon James Green Dean Atta Tanya Byrne Tess Sharpe Josh Silver Wren James   As always, if you'd like to join the discussion on Insta or in the Facebook group, find our Redbubble merch store or donate to Luke's Gofundme for Switchboard then follow the links at linktr.ee/aheartstopperpodcast

This week on Transcending Comics, we're joined by an up-and-coming writer of LGBTQ YA horror comics, Lorry Jamison! We discuss their anthology series, Nightshade, which so far includes Party Animals and Blush. We also get into the many inspirations behind their comics, including our shared nostalgia for Goosebumps and Young Avengers, as well as real-world local haunts!

Alice Oseman's work stops hearts – in a good way. They capture the delirious rush of first love, above all in the Heartstopper series – online, in books, and onscreen – which has become a sensation. Heartstopper is also all about young people finding ways to express themselves, creatively and emotionally, becoming the people they want to be – ideas that resonate with the RAD's own ethos. But also: Alice's mother is a dance teacher! What has dance given them?Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter. Alice is the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance comic Heartstopper, and the writer, creator, and executive producer for the Emmy-winning television adaptation for Netflix. Alice is the author of several YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: Solitaire, Radio Silence, I Was Born For This and Loveless. The books have won, been shortlisted or nominated for awards including the YA Book Prize, Inky Awards, Carnegie Medal and the Goodreads Choice Awards. Alice was named Attitude Person of the Year 2023 and the British Book Awards Illustrator of the Year.Find out more about Alice on their website. Follow Alice on social media: Instagram @AliceOseman Twitter @AliceOsemanHeartstopper on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81059939Find out more about the work of the RADFollow the RAD on social media and join the conversation with host David Jays:Instagram @royalacademyofdanceFacebook @RoyalAcademyofDanceTwitter @RADheadquartersYouTube / royalacademydanceDavid Jays @mrdavidjaysSign up to our mailing list to keep in touch!RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign or making a donation.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 1467: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Alice Oseman, the author of SOLITAIRE and the HEARTSTOPPER series, about asexuality, the importance of authentic story telling and the dangers of book banning Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter, and was born in 1994 in Kent, England. She has written four YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: Solitaire, Radio Silence, I Was Born for This, and Loveless. She is the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance webcomic Heartstopper, which is now published in physical form by Hachette Children's Group, and she is the writer, creator, and executive producer for the television adaptation of Heartstopper, which is set to be released on Netflix. Alice's first novel Solitaire was published when she was nineteen. Her YA novels have been nominated for the YA Book Prize, the Inky Awards, the Carnegie Medal, and the Goodreads Choice Awards. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This all started way back in March of this year. It is now December 1, 2022. I know that patience is sometimes called a virtue, but in this case, I believe it is also a value, and like all things so much more. This conversation is a gift. It's the kind of experience I hope to leave behind every time. And like every conversation that has come before and the many more that I hope will come after, it holds the same truths. It says this is one experience, this is one understanding, your moments will be different, and the more of our moments that we share with each other the greater insight we gain. Want To Know More? Check Out This Bio Excerpt From Kameron's Website Kameron White is a comic artist, illustrator, and designer who works with traditional and digital mediums, including ink, pencil, watercolor, and digital formats. His favorite things to create original characters and worlds, fashion designs, and fun, eccentric stories. Within his work, he aims and works towards displaying a diverse group. This includes People of Color, LGBTQ+ characters, characters of different body sizes, characters with disabilities, and characters of various backgrounds. He also places these characters in sceneries that are not common in history, especially Black and Brown bodies in mythological and religious settings, and imagery. Growing up, he didn't see many characters like himself in terms of race, gender, sexuality, experience, or body type. In Kameron's body of work, he wants to include as much diversity as he can. He also aims to document his own personal stories, by illustrating comics going through his personal journeys as a Black and Indigenous Trans man. With his stories, he hopes to inspire and help other people who might relate and know that there is someone who has been there too. One of his stories was featured in the "We Are Here: All-Trans Anthology", where he shared his story with other amazing Trans artists. Their book recently won the Ignatz 2019 award for Outstanding Anthology. He also has illustrated a story included in "Proud," an anthology of stories and poetry by LGBTQ+ YA authors collected by Juno Dawson. Each story in the book is accompanied by an artist identifying in the LGBTQ+ community and recently won Book of The Year in the 2020 Visionary Honours awards. Website: https://www.spacejamkam.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/spacejamkamart Twitter: https://twitter.com/spacejamkamart Store: https://spacejamkam.storenvy.com Gumroad: https://spacejamkamart.gumroad.com Or Buy Kam a cup of coffee: https://ko-fi.com/spacejamkam The Milestone Initiative In 1993, four Black creators founded Milestone Comics: a new universe of Black and diverse superheroes, brought to life by Black creators and other artists of color. Milestone didn't just change the way our heroes looked; it built a pipeline for talent who had been excluded and marginalized for too long, and a system in which Black creativity could thrive. Now, with the relaunch of Milestone Comics and the creation of The Milestone Initiative, we want to honor the creators of Milestone by continuing their mission. Learn more now and visit https://milestone.dcuniverse.com #kameronwhite #milestone #milestoneinitiative #DCcomics #comics #artist --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seth-the-storyteller/message

This week your hosts continue to celebrate Pride month with Natasha Ngan's LGBTQ YA book - Girls of Paper and Fire. Lei is taken from her home to become a Paper Girl for the Demon King. She vows survive the year and make it back to her family. While at the palace and learning what it means to be a Paper Girl, Lei develops feelings for Wren. While they are in a similar situation, their backgrounds are wildly different and Wren has a deadly secret. CW: Physical and sexual assault.

The book of the moment for today's episode is Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. Just a forewarning for those of you listening, this is NOT a spoiler-free zone. We will be discussing this book in all of its glory, which of course includes revealing the ending. Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter, and was born in 1994 in Kent, England. She has written four YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: Solitaire, Radio Silence, I Was Born for This, and Loveless. She is the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance webcomic Heartstopper, which is now published in physical form by Hachette Children's Group, and she is the writer, creator, and executive producer for the television adaptation of Heartstopper, which has been released on Netflix. Alice's first novel Solitaire was published when she was nineteen. Her YA novels have been nominated for the YA Book Prize, the Inky Awards, the Carnegie Medal, and the Goodreads Choice Awards. If you enjoyed this episode, I encourage you to leave a review on whichever platform you are listening on, if applicable. If you have any further questions regarding topics discussed throughout the episode feel free to join our Hardcover Hoes Discord Server via the link in the show notes, or send us an email at hardcoverhoespod@gmail.com. Feel free to recommend books to cover in future episodes as well! Discord Server: https://discord.gg/zpvW4FyuPF TikTok, IG, Twitter: @HardcoverHoes Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/993967071461813/

This week, Tirzah kicks off Pride Month with a bunch of recommendations of 2022 LGBTQ+ YA releases! Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What's Up in YA newsletter! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Books Discussed Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster by Andrea Mosqueda Out of the Blue by Jason June Epically Earnest by Molly Horan A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy Youngblood by Sasha Laurens The Killing Code by Ellie Marney None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get access to 2 bonus mini-episodes a month on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLavenderMenace For episode 2 of season 4, we discuss the much publicized Heard/Depp case that many of you have asked us to talk about! But before that conversation, we get to a listener submitted hot take about how Better Than Revenge by Taylor Swift is about Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James, characters in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which Renaissance enthusiastically agrees with. We again address the nature of centering men and how it plays out in the 'biphobia' surrounding rhetoric about Amber Heard. For the media discussion part of the episode, we rant about how much we hate the recently released Hulu original movie CRUSH, which has been getting too much hype for being a contemporary lesbian high school romcom when it is so bad. In our recommendations to each other, Renaissance recommends the show Dr. Foster, despite the fact that Sunny is not a big TV watcher. Sunny recommends Kelly Quindlen's lesbian young adult novels- She Drives Me Crazy (2021), Late To The Party (2020), and Her Name in The Sky (2014)- as sapphic books that deserve more hype among the LGBTQ YA book community. Along the lines of better teenage girls/lesbian media like Derry Girls and Booksmart, we encourage people to watch better comedic shit featuring sapphic teens.

This episode DW and Dresa chat with author Bootsncatz about their delightfully morbid mortician/flowershop/tattoo artist AU! We also get the latest scoop on their upcoming new LGBTQ YA novel published by Bella Books! Read the fic! When the Smoke Clears by Bootsncatz Pre-Order your copy of Boots' new novel 'Internet Famous' here!   Episode artwork by Chantal Zeegers This Week's Reverse Sponsor is: Gay Apparel Episode transcript by Edin-Earper

Jeff & Will talk about how happy they are to find m/m romance and LGBTQ+ YA books at their local Barnes & Noble and Target stores. They also discuss some comfort television, including HGTV's “Bargain Block” and Nick's “The Barbarian and the Troll.” The guys highlight books they are looking forward to in May: “A Husband for Hartwell” by J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry, “May the Best Man Win” by ZR Ellor, “The Guncle” by Steven Rowley, “Playing the Palace” by Paul Rudnick, “Hard Sell” by Hudson Lin, and “Just A Little Mischief” by Merry Farmer. Reviews wrap up the show as Jeff talks about “Silent Knight”  by Layla Reyne and “Cinnamon Roll” by Anna Zabo. Will takes a look at “Temple” by Avril Ashton. Complete shownotes for episode 307 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

• Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith – Stay Gold is a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy who’s going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as she’s counting down the days until graduation. Funny and poignant, clear-eyed and hopeful, Stay Gold is a story about finding love—and finding yourself. • The Fascinators by Andrew Eliopulos -- Living in a small town where magic is frowned upon, Sam needs his friends James and Delia—and their time together in their school's magic club—to see him through to graduation. But as senior year starts, little cracks in their group begin to show. Sam may or may not be in love with James. Delia is growing more frustrated with their amateur magic club. And James reveals that he got mixed up with some sketchy magickers over the summer, putting a target on all their backs. A magic-infused YA novel about friendship, first love, and feeling out of place that will bewitch readers.

• Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith – Stay Gold is a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy who’s going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as she’s counting down the days until graduation. Funny and poignant, clear-eyed and hopeful, Stay Gold is a story about finding love—and finding yourself. • The Fascinators by Andrew Eliopulos -- Living in a small town where magic is frowned upon, Sam needs his friends James and Delia—and their time together in their school's magic club—to see him through to graduation. But as senior year starts, little cracks in their group begin to show. Sam may or may not be in love with James. Delia is growing more frustrated with their amateur magic club. And James reveals that he got mixed up with some sketchy magickers over the summer, putting a target on all their backs. A magic-infused YA novel about friendship, first love, and feeling out of place that will bewitch readers.

In this episode, Claire & Sophie discuss some of their favourite LGBTQ+ reads. Throughout the podcast they also let you know some facts about Pride month. So want to read more LGBTQ+ YA books then look no further. Books mentioned and in order - 'Sprout' by Dale Peck, 'Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali' by Sabina Khan, 'Alex in Wonderland' by Simon James Green, 'Leah on the Offbeat' by Becky Alberti, 'Girl Heart Girl' by Lucy Sutcliffe, 'Things a Bright Girl can do' by Sally Nicholls, 'A Gentleman's Guide to Vice & Virtue' by Mackenzi Lee, 'Song of Achilles' by Madeline Miller, 'Heartstopper' by Alice Oseman, 'Check Please' by Ngozi Ukazu, 'Pumkinheads' by Rainbow Rowell, 'Weight of a Thousand Feathers' by Brian Conaghan, 'Boys Don't Cry' by Malorie Blackman and 'Sonny & Me' by Ross Sayers. Let us know your LGBTQ+ reads over on twitter @lounge_learning. Happy Pride!

Dan Lopez and Cody Sisco discuss Michelle Obama's runaway hit, Becoming, and Dan recommends books that fill his current obsessions--LGBTQ YA and Sci-Fi! After that, enjoy Cody's conversation with Shonda Buchanan that covers the history of World Stage Press, Leimert Park and Shonda's own imprint at Tsehai Publishers-- Harriet Tubman Press. And finally, are you looking for events that don't feature the typical glossy beach reads of the summer season? Shannon has you covered with some June book signings (and a book club!) celebrating slightly less mainstream genres. Enjoy!

CONTENT WARNING: The passage Sarah reads utilizes strong language and a hateful slur as part of the antagonist’s dialogue. If you would prefer to skip this section, it goes from 2:35 to 6:19. Such language is not used for the remainder of the episode. Synopsis: Sarah Ward discusses her debut LGBTQ+ YA novel, AESOP LAKE, as well as writing a story for allies, why people don’t abandon toxic belief systems, our capacity for empathy, and the changing state of the world under a president who spreads hate. This episode of COVERED is sponsored by: FeedPress: Blog and podcast analytics starting at $4 a month, podcast hosting starting at just $8 a month. Use promo code COVERED to get 10% off your first year. Audible: Get a FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial! Over 180,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. Check out the Audible links below next to the titles discussed during the episode! Make sure to signup for Audible today to get your FREE audio book and 30-day trial. Please support our podcast by making a sustaining monthly donation. Please also check out our GoFundMe campaign as we’re trying to raise enough money to help cover our studio build costs. Duration: 48:33:00 Present: Harry C. Marks, Sarah Ward The Guest Aesop Lake by Sarah Ward Twitter Books Discussed Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris | Audible Follow your host and the show on Twitter @HCMarks @COVERED_fm @HologramRadio for more podcasts to listen to! Subscribe to Covered! Get Covered on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or via RSS. SUBSCRIBE! Please take a moment to rate our show in iTunes or Apple Podcasts, even if it’s just a one star rating. It really does make a difference in helping us reach a wider audience. Download: Episode S4E13 – Sarah Ward, AESOP LAKE

Jeff & Will recap their writing week with updates on Jeff's Codename: Winger #3 as well as their co-written book, The Hockey Player's Heart, which now has a publication date of January 15, 2018. New patrons Lindsay and Ann are welcomed. Jeff reviews The Queen & The Homo Jock King by TJ Klune and Harmonious Hearts 2017, an anthology of LGBTQ+ YA stories written by authors aged fourteen to twenty-one. Will reviews Lace Covered Compromise by Silva Violet and Two for Trust by Elle Brownlee. Together, the guys talk about Santa's Husband, a children's book written by Daniel Kibblesmith with illustrations by AP Quach. Jeff interviews Adam Reynolds and Chaz Harris, the creators of the Promised Land children's book. They discuss the origin of that book as well as their new project, Maiden Voyage, which has a Kickstarter running through November 13. Complete show notes for episode 109 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

Eric and Kelly talk about Malinda Lo’s annual LGBTQ YA data count, dig into the problem of the media’s take on “suicide” as a “trend” in YA, and highlight the embarrassing stories behind some favorite YA author AOL Instant Messenger names of yore.   Sponsored by Turtles All The Way Down by John Green and OwlCrate.

Amanda and Jenn discuss gothic novels, short stories, LGBTQ+ YA, and more in this week's episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by Lit Chat, Second Acts by Teri Emory, and A Poison Dark and Drowning by Jessica Cluess.   Questions   1. Hi Amanda & Jenn I wanted to say I love your podcast. You guys are awesome. I'm going on vacation to Rome this fall and I was hoping to read some novels between then and now to give me a feel for the city. I'm looking for fiction, historical or not (just not Ancient Rome), where the city plays a prominent role. I'm not really into mysteries or really super dark, heavy stuff ie The Vegetarian. (Although I did enjoy that one, but I'm good on dark for a while) Other than that, I'm open to whatever you can recommend. Thanks. --Denise   2. Hello! Ideally I'd like these books before Oct. 2017 so I can read for Halloween, but that isn't super critical. When I was in middle school, I went through a phase of loving ghost stories. You know the ones--plucky middle school kid moves into a creepy old house on the East Coast, meets a benevolent ghost, solves the mystery of their murder so they can move into the Great Beyond. I especially loved Mary Downing Hahn. I was also inspired by the recent (as of 7/12/17) post about Bruce Coville's series to load up some books on my Thrift Books wishlist, but I'm interested in the same style of story aimed at adults. Nothing horrifying, but a bit of a thrill is ok. I'm not necessarily looking for the same formula, just the same atmosphere and ghost-iness. Any thoughts? Thanks so much! --Samantha   3. Hello, I am hoping to give my sister a book of short stories for Christmas. She is new to reading for pleasure and she asks me if I can recommend her something but it’s difficult when she and I are not sure what she likes. I know she doesn't like zombie/horror (like) stories/books. Is there something with different genres, maybe this will help her find what she does or doesn't like. Thank you so much, you guys have a great day :) --Paola   4. I'm taking a train trip from San Diego to Portland in October to visit Powell's as part of my 30th birthday celebration (I turned 30 in July, but I bought the trip as a gift to myself). Since this is a special trip, I'd love to pick up a few new books that I can cherish as well. I'd love for these to be the type of books that become favorites. I'm mostly into Fantasy and Science Fiction, and I really enjoy YA. I love a good story based in mythology or a good fairy tale retelling. I've also been getting into mystery/suspense/thriller and horror lately and would love a good terrifying horror story (apparently I'm hard to scare on the page). I do enjoy the occasional contemporary/literary fiction as well. I could do without love/romance (as long as it doesn't take over the story or the story has other strong elements or is just really good). I would also love to include diversity in my picks. Books I love or have really enjoyed include: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, American Gods, A Head Full of Ghosts, The Kingkiller Chronicles, The Book Thief, Queens of Geek, The Library of Fates, Ready Player One, Ramona Blue, and The Mermaid's Sister. --Jessica   5. Hey Y'all! My name is Sabrina and the last few years of my life have been pretty rough. To make a long, traumatic story short, I had been going through an ongoing custody battle with my son's father, had an extremely difficult pregnancy that ended with my sweet baby in NICU (she's healthy and happy now), dealt with other family issues as well as my own internal ones. Nevertheless, I received my Bachelor's degree in English and Women's Studies and am now in grad school. Although things have gotten better, I still have this overwhelming feeling of exhaustion and anxiety but above all, I feel inadequate. I'm a brown woman, the first in my family to graduate with a bachelors, let alone get into grad school. I have 3 kiddos whom I adore and I just really want to read something that will help me to believe everything will get better. That someone else has been through the things I have and that I am worthy of my place in grad school. I am worthy of my place in the world. I read Tiny Beautiful Things and loved it. I would love any recommendations of books with a woman of color main character and something not toooooo long because grad school. Bonus if the main character is a mom/writer herself. --Sabrina   6. Hi! I’m trying to complete the 2017 Read Harder Challenge, and I’m having trouble finding books for some of the categories. One in particular has me stumped: read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+. I actually love YA, so you would think this would be easy for me, but I’m having trouble figuring out which authors identify as LGBTQ+ (Sexual orientation isn’t always printed on the “About the Author” page, or even the author’s website, so how would I find this info?). Some YA books I’ve liked recently are: When Dimple Met Rishi, Saints and Misfits, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and Something In Between Thanks for your help! --Jess   7. Dear Amanda and Jenn, Thank you for continuing to give new and specialized recs week after week! I'm searching for suggestions to send to my friend who is in the US Marine Corps and deployed to the Middle East for an extended period. He doesn't get a lot of down time, but likes to read and obviously didn't get to bring many books along. The book/books need to be short-ish, since I'll be sending it/them via air mail. He enjoys Kerouac and Hemingway. Maybe something with a sense of humor? Any good, intriguing story/memoir/essay collection that will lift his spirits but not be too heavy. Nothing political, but it could be fiction or non-fiction. He is super into all kinds of music (he used to be a DJ) so bonus points if you can think of something related to that. He also loves to travel and studies several languages... it seemed like a broad request at first so I'm trying to give you a sense of his interests to help you narrow down your picks :) Thanks so much for your help! --Haley   Books An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana by Carlo Emilio Gadda, trans William Weaver Angels & Demons by Dan Brown Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling by Ross King Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love by Sarah Vaughn and Lan Medina The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield In the Country by Mia Alvar Best American Short Stories 2016 The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe Tender by Sofia Samatar The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore Dreadnought by April Daniels Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks Let’s Talk About Love (33 ⅓) by Carl Wilson

Amanda and Jenn discuss Alaska reads, classics, LGBTQ+ YA, and more in this week's episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by Genius: The Game by Leopoldo Gout and The Secret Agent Training Manual by Elizabeth Singer Hunt.     Questions 1. Hi! I'll be visiting a few cities in Alaska this summer, and I was wondering if you could recommend some books set in (relatively) modern day Alaska. Most books set in Alaska I've seen focus on either the Gold Rush, the Yukon (where no really lives...?), being stranded in the wilderness and having to survive, or some combination thereof. I'm more interested in the everyday lives of people in Alaska. Do these kinds of books set in Alaska even exist? Please let me know! I'm open to fiction, non-fiction, and even poetry. --Jess   2. Hello, I am the public librarian in a small (fairly conservative) town. We have a limited YA collection that has been slowly been building over the years. There is a real lack of diversity in the collection, especially concerning LBGT books. I am looking for books that cover this area but aren't overly explicit or fantasy as much of the YA collection is fantasy. Thank you! --Maggie   3. I just discovered your podcast and am loving catching up on all the back episodes, so thanks! I am a fiction revert book lover. After reading Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl under the covers with a flashlight, I gave up reading in high school and college when a bad English teacher killed it for me (besides Harry Potter and cliffs notes). Only in the last few years have I really begun to fall in love with reading fiction. And more than anything, I'm really digging reading all the classics I missed. I know that I missed so many good books in all those years, and it's hard to navigate which to go for. I would like to pick ones that would be five star material. Some of my favorites have been To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Anne of Green Gables, Rebecca, A Wrinkle in Time, and Count of Monte Cristo. I'm looking for classics, although contemporary classics would be great too. Thanks so much!! --Ally   4. Hi ladies first off, just wanted to say how comforting and glad i am to have discovered your podcast recently. Hearing about such a wide array of books, comics and audiobooks has really made me feel like my reading world has been such a narrow one but also has made me really excited to expand my reading experiences Okay, i have noticed that i have started reading less and less as i grow up and over the past couple of years, i would be lucky if i could even read 2 books a years. I really want to get back into one of my first love in storytelling but am kind of at a lost to where to start. im looking for any kind of book that will just have me absolutely engrossed and fall back into love with reading. i usually read YA of young character centred books but am totally open to anything new. the last couple of books i read that reminded me how much i love reading were: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow rowell Trouble is a friend of mine by Stephanie tromly The Outsiders by S.E Hinton and Viral series by Kathy Reichs --Dami   5. Hi Jenn and Amanda! I love reading about people bonding with their dogs. However, I find that 99% of the time, if the dog plays a key role in the book then something terrible will happen to it. Can you help me find a happy book about dogs that will not wrench my heart out and bring me to tears? I read What the Dog Knows by Cat Warren and enjoyed her style of non-fiction. I would prefer a fiction recommendation at the moment, but I am open to any recommendations! Thank you! --Marie   6. I'm based in the UK and love the access that your show gives me to a wider range of books. I am in a book club and when it's my turn to choose I like to challenge the group (the others often usually pick contemporary literary fiction which is great but it's great to try something different). I fancy reading a graphic novel as I've not read one before but am scared off by the fantasy and comic book characters. Can you suggest 3 options that may be more of my thing? Thanks --Janine   7. Hi Jenn and Amanda! I am a retired first-grade teacher and for the last year or so have been channeling my love for reading aloud into reading to my father-in-law, who lives in a care center near my home. I am wondering if you have any suggestions for things he might enjoy. He is in his early 80s. He had a stroke a few years ago, resulting in some limitations with short-term memory, so short stories and/or plots that are not too hard to follow between reading sessions work best. (I usually go a couple times each week.) He LOVES westerns, cowboy stories, old movies, and generally adventurous/action-packed plot lines. We have read quite a few Louis L'Amour books and short stories. I am looking for things that are generally upbeat, and not too risque. Thank you so much! --Kathy   8. Hi! Money has been short lately but I finally have enough to invest in some really great books! Do you have any suggestions on what books and authors are worth my hard earned money? I will read anything, preferably fiction and if it's longer than 600 pages I will be very happy. Would also enjoy something that's not western culture. Thank you! --Hanna   Books Discussed Dot Journaling by Rachel Wilkerson Miller Into the Water by Paula Hawkins Baby It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name by Heather Lende Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert The Woman In White Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Stay by Allie Larkin Dog On It by Spencer Quinn Alias Vol 1 by Brian Michael Bendis Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt The Rise of Ransom City by Felix Gilman A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra

Emily Meixner, college professor, and Rachel Scupp, middle school teacher, talk with Josh about their ongoing collaboration creating and testing middle level LGBTQ YA literature curriculum, the logistics of coteaching, and the importance of working with supportive administrators.