Originally, I was going to do my second carnival over award books, but when I was at the library recently, they actually had a copy of Freak Show by James St. James that was recommended to me months ago by a friend, who was just ecstatic about it after she finished. I snatched it up; it’s on my reading queue.

After that, I rethought my carnival topic.

The theme is straightforward: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning literature. This can mean literature by GLBTQ authors and/or literature about GLBTQ characters and issues. Laying all the cards on the table: I don’t know everything about these issues. I have only been reading GLBTQ YA literature for six months. However, I want to learn and experience and read about different perspective and so here’s my carnival.

Initially, I feared doing this carnival because of controversy. It’s why I almost defaulted to award books. In the end, I decided that I would rather choose visibility and hope that everything can stay civil. GLBTQ literature is important to me. I write it. I read it. I wish there were more of it, more visibility, more people talking about it and promoting the books they like. It’s not all m/m erotica, is what I’m trying to say.

If you have books you’ve reviewed and/or posts that apply to the topic, feel free to send them in. While this is a YA focused blog, the carnival posts don’t have to be strictly YA. They can be absolutely anything. Diversity is welcome! However, teen fiction is a good place to start if you’re new to GLBTQ books. For recommendations for books to read if you would like to take part in the carnival, check out I’m Here. I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I Read? and Worth the Trip, two excellent sources for titles.

The deadline for submissions is January 9th, 2009. Please e-mail links to ya.fabulous@gmail.com or bottle.of.shine@gmail.com.

♥ Renay