I see what you’re thinking, internets. You are sitting at your computer, wondering, “Why is Renay asking for recommendations for books without same sex make-outs or sexy times? Is she ILL?” Oh, internets, I am ill. I am.

I have a friend who we will call Horace. Horace and I have become good pals through our love of reading. I have loaned them several great books, one of which was My Most Excellent Year. I loved that story. I ran into a snag with Horace, though. See, Horace has this…thing. They can’t read books with the following traits:

• Main character death—if the character has a big-to-mid-sized role, it’s a no go.
• Hardcore SF/F—can’t handle it! Doesn’t work.
• Gay People—if you’re gay, Horace will be friends with you (Hi, Horace!) but fuck if they’ll read about those evil gay people who are definitely going to hell for having weird and gross sex.

I might be hanging on to a little residual anger. You know, perhaps.

I will be honest! I may live in the reddest state, in the reddest county in the country, where “Democrat” means “Rethuglican in disguise” and there are four anti-choice billboards on my route to work, but I do a pretty good job of insulating myself and keeping my circle of friends tightly controlled. I was shocked, and hurt, and disappointed in Horace when they told me they couldn’t read this book because of one gay character, one storyline that contained at most, chaste first-love antics. I did not know this about Horace, this aversion to gay people: the Othering, the erasing of, the “if I don’t see it they don’t exist” decisions they made. It has thrown me!

Because, and if you’ve read this blog for awhile you will know this about me: boys kissing is my forte. I read it, I write it, I promote it, I am a big fan. I could handle the no-death stuff, and yeah, no serious SF/F would be hard but doable, but by adding in this new rule, no icky gays, I’m stumped. I went from having tons of recs for romances to having almost none I could share with Horace. I feel adrift! I am, honestly, a little heartbroken, not just because Horace will miss out on books I think are amazing, but because I feel like a friend has rejected part of who I am. Like just because I am a girl, and think girls are totally hot, I am less worthy. YET, I do not want to give up my friendship with Horace, however masochistic that will be for me in the future.

Thus, people who read! I have come to the intertubes seeking your help. I have with me a list of books and series Horace has loved and I ask of you to read them and think about what other books Horace might like based on the titles listed. Feel free to help and, to cheer me up, feel free to add My Most Excellent Year to your reading list. It’s worth it, icky gays and all.

Books I have recommended that Horace has liked:

• All titles by Sarah Dessen
• All titles by Elizabeth Scott (excepting Living Dead Girl and Love You Hate You Miss You which break a rule)
• The Twilight Saga
• Graceling
• The Hunger Games (I do not know how this survived the character death rule, but it did)
• Suite Scarlett (and I’ve recced Johnson’s other books that don’t break the rules)
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
• The Adoration of Jenna Fox

If you have titles you think would be appropriate and don’t violate the rules, please share them! I would really appreciate it. :)