Sheila Ruth writes a long post about the very subject that inspired me to fire up Nerds Heart YA (speaking of, feel free to drop by, join, and suggest books.) Here’s the part that really made my eyes do an awesome impersonation of saucers (trust me, it was rad).

Reading the YA choices fact sheet, I discovered this statement: “A book must have received at least two positive reviews to be included in the collection under consideration.” Aha! We’re back to those same influential review journals. The YA choices book list does not include books selected by teens from a broad range of choices. It includes books selected by teens from a list that was pre-selected by adults!

On one hand, whoa. On the other, well, it’s not really surprising from what I remember as a teen. Wouldn’t want those kids to pick something inappropriate, better vet the books first.

I’m going to reveal my secrets talk about the same thing I’ve been talking about that bothers me about YA lit, which is: if there are 30,000 female/male romances aimed at teen girls, why haven’t YA publishers picked up on the fact that teen girls are reading the hell out of manga like Naruto and not because, oh hai, ninjas! No, YA publishers, let me share a fact with you: as far as I can tell, Naruto is full of pretty boys with angst whom teen girls are slashing (kissing! touching! depending on the type of fangirl, possibly having hot sex!). I look back to what originally pulled me back into reading and fandom in late 2001: Harry Potter, in the form of fanfiction where Harry and Draco were in love (don’t judge me, guys). I can’t be imagining this, right? Well, I know I’m not, I’ve seen too much fanart (apparently, Naruto and Sasuke are in love, but don’t take my word for it).

My problem with Battle of the Books SLJ is hosting isn’t just that all the titles had been covered so much that all the column space which contains reviews for those books could surround the earth five times if lined up, but because once again, GLBTQ persons were erased, invisible. Where the hell are all the books with GLBTQ protagonists in these things? Where are the books—books I read positive reviews of—where a boy has a boyfriend or a girl has a girlfriend. The books where traditional gender roles are challenged? YA lit, you don’t do enough to promote anything that’s not heteronormative and it’s cramping my style. Um, but I love you, baby, don’t leave me. >.>

Anyway, that said, we have eight judges and we’ve started a huge list of books to start compiling our own battle of the books over at Nerds Heart YA, so feel free to come back and become a judge and add some books (even if they have het romance) and become a judge and maybe become a judge? YES? Or if not, pass on the word to people you think might be interested!

Now I will shut up about this for awhile. Maybe.

(YA book tournament is a tentative go! Visit our group to recommend some titles or become a judge (or both).)

SLJ is doing Battle of the Books. It’s the kidlit version of the Walk of Fame and features a lot of the Big Name Books and Big Name Authors. I’ve been following, but my interest was poked with a sharp stick when the Battle Commander posted an update linking to someone who wasn’t happy.

That might be an understatement, actually. “Wasn’t happy” doesn’t seem to cut through the amount of disgust and annoyance present in that blog. It’s not invalid criticism, but here’s the lesson I’ve gained from a few years in fandom: if you want to read some awesome boys kissing, you write it yourself. By which I mean: if the SLJ Battle of the Books seems heavily weighted in favor of books that are so famous already they blind you when you part the pages, maybe there should be another version for the books that are unloved and weeping in the corner. It’s not backed by th SLJ reputation, sure, but it’s still filled with love.

Then, of course, I opened my mouth on Twitter and five people were suddenly like, “You should do it!” YOU ALL ARE TERRIBLE INFLUENCES. You know who you are.

Here’s the thing, and what I couldn’t say in 140 character reply: I would love to, but I…don’t think I’m popular enough or trusted enough? I’m not trying to invite, “Renay! You’re totally awesome!” comments, I’m just being honest about my presence in the kidlitosphere which is tenuous at best. That might be generous; I am pretty sure I curse too much and don’t read widely enough and also I don’t like The Hunger Games as much as anyone else which is like two and a half strikes against me and I haven’t even done anything yet except be a loudmouth. I lack the critical mass. Guys, I am not bookshelves of doom or The YA YA YAs. I am just a YA lit dreamer bitter that none of the books in SLJ’s Battle include stories where boys make out and that Frankie lost in the Tournament of Books! Twice! Judged lacking by men.

*grumble*

Also, If there was such a tournament; what books should be in it? If we looked at what I consider The Big Three: Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults and the Printz and the NBA and said to those nominees and winners, “Congrats on your success, but you don’t count for this?” what would we list? How would we even decide? I sure wouldn’t know where to begin.

Roger (’ware the bitterness in the comments from the anonymice) has a good point about the fame of those books and the judges carrying the tournament. I agree with the blogger he linked to a point, but as per usual when I disagree with how something’s done, my idea is to take it and do it myself, which says something about my ego (huge and relentless, also 20 feet tall and coming for your children and small animals). My idea was to ignore the fame aspect (which wouldn’t work for some reason??), choose 16 YA books that didn’t get a lot of play but were loved by bloggers who have only their reputations to back them up and go to town. Bonus if each battle consisted of two bloggers to discuss one book, do a co-review/comparison and choose one to proceed to the next round. Even if the exposure is to readers of our blogs, isn’t that better than none? Isn’t one reader swayed to try a book something to be celebrated, possibly with cake¹? Nerdy book tournament: check! Promotion across various participant blogs for lesser-known YA books: check! Community-building: check! Possibly meeting awesome new bloggers and friends: check! Downsides: no fame or fortune for judges, strange looks from the kidlitosphere elite, possible financial requirements.

It’s a pretty idea, though. Is anyone as crazy as I am?

¹ Screw possibly. There will definitely be cake.

(YA book tournament is a tentative go! Visit our group to recommend some titles or become a judge (or both).)

The reason I write and talk up and champion GLBTQ YA is simply because with visibility comes acceptance; with visibility the fear of the unknown is replaced by the realization that GLBTQ people and their allies are not monsters or abnormal and especially not goat fuckers.

It helps to be reminded¹ that I’m not just in it for hot guys making out. I’m in it because I think kids, like the kid I used to be, should be able to see more people like them represented in literature and movies and TV and comics—and the way to do that is to demand social change.

I dream of a world where GLBTQ YA is as well-loved as books with female/male romances, where I don’t have to find those titles in the social science section or special order them every time I want to read them, where two girls or two guys falling in love isn’t something that’s a niche market, but instead embraced by everyone who loves teen romances. Sometimes I can see that day clearly and others it seems an unreachable place.

I have an entire generation of Harry/Draco fangirls, though, that keep my hope alive.

¹ Bring tissues.

Reminded by Raych, I feel the need to share this again.

*cackles*

I wouldn’t have known the 2008 rec list from Locus if Scalzi hadn’t posted about it, but he did so now I am informed. I was happy to see a YA section on the list. That’s right, bitches, Zoe’s Tale better be on the list. I would have glared at them sternly had it not been. Although the kidlitosphere doesn’t go in much for science fiction of that type, which makes me sad in my pants.

• City of Ashes, Cassandra Clare
• The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
• Monster Blood Tattoo, Book Two: Lamplighter, D. M. Cornish
• Little Brother, Cory Doctorow
• The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman
• Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, Alison Goodman (Viking); as The Two Pearls of Wisdom
• Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan
• How to Ditch Your Fairy, Justine Larbalestier
• Ink Exchange, Melissa Marr
• Chalice, Robin McKinley
• The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness
• The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Mary E. Pearson
• Nation, Terry Pratchett
• Zoe’s Tale, John Scalzi
• Flora’s Dare, Ysabeau S. Wilce

My thoughts: I say I will, but I probably won’t ever read any of Cassandra Clare’s work. You plagiarize once like she did, you will probably plagiarize again. I would never be able to trust her work. I have no idea how people who read her trust it. Maybe they just don’t know.

The big players are there and no surprise; Graceling is on another list. I’m meh about The Hunger Games but perhaps just because I read Battle Royale right before it and it’s impossible to not draw lines between the two. A Curse Dark as Gold picks up another honor, and I am surprised by the inclusion of How to Ditch Your Fairy. I read this book but didn’t post any thoughts about it because I couldn’t find much to say, except I enjoyed it until the end, were it went from SWEET to STEAMING PILE in about one chapter. It fulfilled the Bow Principle of Story Resolutions; the shinier the pretty bow wrapping ever loose end up, the worse the ending will be. The Adoration of Jenna Fox takes part in the Bow Principle, as well.

The Graveyard Book absolutely deserves to be here, I have The Knife of Never Letting Go coming up on my reading list and I’ve never heard of Flora’s Dare, but it looks interesting.

Oh, to be read list. You are never getting smaller.