Which lesbian book should you read first?
I've been reading lesbian literature for about four years now, since the start of my coming out process. But if I had to pick one book for the 'new' reader, it would be the very first book I picked up when I still had one foot in the closet during my freshman year of college: Far From Xanadu (now rereleased as Pretend You Love Me) by Julie Anne Peters. More information about the book (and an excerpt) can be found here: http://www.This book really hit home for me my freshman year because, like main character Mike, I was dealing with a crush on an incredible girl who just happened to be straight. From the beginning until the end of the novel, I saw a lot of myself in Mike, although I wasn't nearly as out as she was at that time.
I would also recommend it because of how out she is and how her coming out process isn't a big deal at all. Sure, she and her best friend, an out gay male, get some slack for who they are, but that isn't the main point of the story at all. This is nice because it shows the reader, especially one who's new to lesbian/LGBTQ literature, that characters/people who aren't completely straight go through the same struggles that their straight counterparts do. In fact, this book has inspired me to write a similar story - with a happier ending.
CC is a recent college graduate but forever a kid at heart. When she isn't working in her self-proclaimed second hometown, she enjoys spending too much time online, writing, reading, playing video games, and watching hockey (particularly the Predators, Stars, and Penguins). Her blog is at thegirlwiththefixedglasses.
You may also be interested in:
- Buy Far From Xanadu/Pretend You Love Me by Julie Anne Peters on Amazon [review pending]
- See all posts in the Introducing Lesbian Fiction Event
- See the main page about the event
- More contemporary lesbian young adult fiction
- See the full list of Lesbian Young Adult Fiction
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