Top reads on #NationalComingOut Day

Coming out for any reason and for any situation is largely not an easy and comfortable thing to do ( at least in my experience). We are all different and experience things in different ways, with so many emotions mix up within this, it can be a hard time in anyone's life. That;s why in any situation books can be there for us. Books not only take us to other worlds but into other peoples lives, lives that often mirror our own and that we can draw emotion, experience, advice, comfort and confidence from. SO on this National Coming Out Day we've got a small list of just a couple of titles that have a strong LGBTQ themes and that we can all draw something from...this list is just the tip of the iceberg in both fiction and non-fiction and we'd love to hear what books you've read and that have influenced YOU!  

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

by Becky Albertalli 

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

School life is complicated enough as it is! I can only imagine what it would have been like to go trough high school if this has happened to me! This was a time where I was still finding myself and getting bullied for something i hadn't even properly understood let alone accepted yet. BUT it was a time that shaped me and i feel we're coming into a more open age and I hope more people can be open about their sexuality and more goes into education and information around this for children!

More Than This

by Patrick Ness

A boy drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments. He dies.

Then he wakes, naked and bruised and thirsty, but alive.

How can this be? And what is this strange deserted place?

As he struggles to understand what is happening, the boy dares to hope. Might this not be the end? Might there be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife?

This book isn't focused specifically on LBGTQ issues but there was a beautiful relationship and description of someones feelings here and i remember really connecting with the character at that moment and getting a bit teary!

Fan Art

by Sarah Tregay

Senior year is almost over, and Jamie Peterson has a big problem. Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend.

As much as Jamie tries to keep it under wraps, everyone seems to know where his affections lie, and the giggling girls in art class are determined to help Jamie get together with Mason. But Jamie isn’t sure if that’s what he wants—because as much as Jamie would like to come clean to Mason, what if the truth ruins everything? What if there are no more road trips, taco dinners, or movie nights? Does he dare risk a childhood friendship for romance?

This book is about what happens when a picture reveals what we can’t say, when art is truer than life, and how falling in love is easy, except when it’s not. Fan Art explores the joys and pains of friendship, of pressing boundaries, and how facing our worst fears can sometimes lead us to what we want most.

The Art of Being Normal

by Lisa Williamson

Two boys. Two secrets.

David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. 

On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan. 

When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

This Book is Gay

by Juno Dawson

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

This is the Kind of book that was not around when I was younger when there were a million and one questions and I didn't have the internet! It;s a book I want more people to read to feel comfortable about themselves 

Audio Book: Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen

Author: Jazz Jennings, Narrated by: Jazz Jennings
Available on Audible.co.uk

Jazz Jennings is one of the youngest and most prominent voices in the national discussion about gender identity. At the age of five, Jazz transitioned to life as a girl, with the support of her parents. A year later her parents allowed her to share her incredible journey in her first Barbara Walters interview, aired at a time when the public was much less knowledgeable about or accepting of the transgender community. This groundbreaking interview was followed over the years by other high-profile interviews, a documentary, the launch of her YouTube channel, a picture book, and her own reality TV series, I Am Jazz, making her one of the most recognizable activists for transgender teens, children, and adults. In her remarkable memoir, Jazz reflects on these very public experiences and how they have helped shape the mainstream attitude toward the transgender community. But it hasn't all been easy. Jazz has faced many challenges, bullying, discrimination, and rejection, yet she perseveres as she educates others about her life as a transgender teen. Through it all her family has been beside her on this journey, standing together against those who don't understand the true meaning of tolerance and unconditional love. Now Jazz must learn to navigate the physical, social, and emotional upheavals of adolescence - particularly high school - complicated by the unique challenges of being a transgender teen. Making the journey from girl to woman is never easy - especially when you began your life in a boy's body.

Again this is a subject that I don't think is discussed about enough, but that there is a lot of movement in the last few years to bring about awareness and Jazz's story is a really inspiring one! Its made all the more personal that she narrates the book herself! 

Not My Father’s Son Audio Book

By Alan Cumming, Narrated by: Alan Cumming
Available on Audible.co.uk

Tremendously moving and eloquently written, Alan Cumming's Not My Father's Son is a brutally honest memoir of the extraordinary life he has led. In this autobiography audiobook edition of his novel, Cumming narrates through the journey that has been his life - from a young boy with an abusive father to the icon he is today. Heartfelt, inspirational and awakening, Cumming's story is one that stays with the listener long after the final word is spoken. This book is not just for fans of this incredible man but for anyone who is touched by the emancipation of a child from the grasps of a violent beginning.

Aside from looking vaguely like me...Alan cumming is a great actor who has been through much and who not only has an interesting life but one that can bee looked up to!  Go on Alan!

No one should every feel that it's not ok to be who you are and who you want to be and I hope on this #NationalComingOutDay you feel inspired to be the best you you can be!