Episode 107: LGBTQ material

Thanks to our Guest Host: Lydia!

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Introduction

Welcome, everyone, to Books and Beverages! This week we are discussing LGBTQ books!

Check out our full information page for more links, and all our nice beverages!

We are the Central Minnesota Libraries Exchange, and we support all types of libraries. This is our book group podcast, where we discuss different genres of books each week, while we all sit in our comfy chairs and drink our beverages. And you are, of course, an important part of this book group. So if you do not already have a nice beverage please go get one, so you can join the experience.

There are no right” or “wrong” books to read and chat about for our book group – we are just here to explore all kinds of books. All of us will take away at least a title or two that we want to read at the end of our time together!

Who is joining our reading group this week? This week our Guest Host is Lydia from Great River Library System!

We have so many suggestions here! Check out our podcast webpage for all kinds of links to articles and other big lists of books you can read for yourself, or that you can use to suggest books to patrons or other people who are looking for material of all sorts in this genre.

This is a genre that can make people uncomfortable, and there are research studies out there showing that librarians do not always handle questions in this area as well as they could. In our whirlwind look at all types of LGBTQ books, we want to at  least give you an overview, and to talk about the range of possibilities for books.

The website Common Sense Media has some structured suggestions for books parents or libraries might want to share with kids. “From books with main characters who are LGBTQ or still figuring out their gender or sexual orientations to stories of straight kids or teens with gay friends or parents, these books portray many aspects of the LGBTQ experience.” Their age breakdowns are:

  • Recommendations for All ages
  • Preschoolers (2-4)
  • Little Kids (5-7)
  • Big Kids (8-9)
  • Tweens (10-12)
  • Teens (13+)

Goodreads, our trusted friend in book recommendations has many lists of books of interest to all sorts of readers, with different LGBTQ themes. Here are just a few to give you some perspective on available books you might try!

  • Favorite Gay Couples
  • The Best of Gay Romance
  • Best Lesbian Fiction
  • Transgender Friendly Young Children’s Books
  • m/m books you must read
  • The Best Humorous Gay Romances
  • Queer Superheroes!
  • Favorite Bisexual Fiction
  • Best Gay Cops/ Security Guards/P.I.’s
  • LGBT Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Best Gay Romance With A Character(s) Who Has A Disability
  • Best Gay Mystery
  • Gay/Queer Poetry
  • Best Fantasy Books with Bisexual Main Characters
  • Best Gay Romance with Bookish/Nerdy/Geeky Characters
  • Best LGBT Humor
  • Non-Binary (Genderqueer, Genderfluid, Gender-Unspecified, etc) Fiction and Memoirs
  • Best Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Non-Fiction
  • Graphic Novels Featuring LGBTQ Themes
  • Gay Romance Featuring Chefs or Food