Gay Teens on TV

I'm sorry for posting this a bit late...only because this is the past week's copy of Entertainment Weekly. However, you still have time to head to the store and grab a copy before next week's issue takes over.

As you can see from the photo though, the main article in this issue was about Gay Teens on TV and how back in the early 90's, it was something you would rarely see. There was a gay teen featured in My So-Called Life in 1994, but that show only lasted one season. After that, it took about five more years. It's easy to see now though that things are changing.  Not only do you have Kurt and Blaine on GLEE (as the cover shows) but United States of Tara, Degrassi, Pretty Little Liars, and even the new 2011 shows...Shameless and Skins (U.S. version).

Personally, I'm really proud of networks finally showing young girls and boys that fall under the LGBTQ spectrum. Degrassi is even a pioneer with the fact that they have a transgender teen on their show as a main character. It's great...and I just hope it keeps getting better from here.

The article is really interesting if you want to hear more about some of these shows, and even past ones. There is a timeline throughout as well that shows you shows that have featured LGBT teens and just what year it debuted.

Included in this article is a quote about how they hope more shows will show LGBT teens more like their straight counterparts. Not everyone is bullied or has parents that are upset, as the quote says...so TV needs to show this more.

Overall, it's an interesting article. I liked the look back and even ahead to what people can expect and hope to see on TV.

Did anyone else read this already? Share your thoughts! Even if you haven't...we'd still love to know what you think about LGBT teens on TV now and even in the past!

~Lauren

Waiting on Wednesday: Shine by Lauren Myracle

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Out: May 1, 2011

Summary:

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.



Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

Why I Want This:

In case it's not obvious by the summary, the victim of the hate crime was gay. Of course, this is Let's Get Beyond Tolerance...so maybe I didn't have to tell you that. At any rate, now you know! I think this sounds like an intense read but it's a powerful and important topic. I'm really glad there are YA books that deal with it and I commend Lauren Myracle on taking a shot and trying to tacke the subject. I've even read a few good reviews of this book already, so that makes me even more excited.
 

What are you waiting on this week? Any LGBT books?

 
~Lauren

The Importance of an LGBT Book Award

The Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award has been granted for 2011. The winner is Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher. For more information on the book and the four honor books for this award are as follows-

“Almost Perfect,” written by Brian Katcher, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. is the winner of the 2011 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award. The award is given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.



Four honor books were selected: “will grayson, will grayson,” written by John Green and David Levithan and published by Dutton Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.; “Love Drugged,” written by James Klise and published by Flux, an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.; “Freaks and Revelations,” written by Davida Willis Hurwin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “The Boy in the Dress,” written by David Walliams, illustrated by Quentin Blake and published by Penguin Young Readers Group.

Taken from here.

I think it's amazing that an award like this is out there. LGBT fiction should be acknowledged and I must congratulate Mr. Katcher on his win, as well as the other books honored. I'm afraid I haven't read Almost Perfect yet but I do own it and plan to very soon. I have read Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Love Drugged though and would recommend them.

This is the type of award that I would be honored to win. No, I'm not a published author...but I hope to be at some point and I'd love my current manuscript to be the one that gets me there. And if it is, it would be considered an LGBT novel. I suppose it's just something I'll have to strive for...here's hoping!

For now, what are your thoughts on the Stonewall award, winners, and honors? Any LGBT books from 2010 you wish were honored as well?

~Lauren

(don't forget to enter the huge prize pack giveaway! Entries can be found for a variety of things, and it's not that hard...plus, you might just win some awesome LGBT books, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, and some cool stationary. Don't miss out!)

Huge Prize Pack Giveaway + Book Tour

David Inside Out Blog Tour!

The blog tour starts today and it will go for two weeks.

Monday, January 17th to Friday, January 28th

At each stop, the blogger will have a letter posted to a favorite author. This relates to DIO because David and his best friend Eddie write letters to their favorite romance authors. The authors on this tour don't have to be romance though...

You definitely want to follow along with this tour though because there is a fun PRIZE PACK to win.

So here are the details. To enter this giveaway, you have to come back on comment on this post with your entry numbers so we don't miss anything.

You get ONE POINT for each letter you leave a comment for

You get TWO POINTS for each blog on the tour you follow (and Let's Get Beyond Tolerance counts...so follow!)

You get THREE POINTS if you post a letter to a favorite author on your own blog and link back to this post. Please try and post the summary to David Inside Out as well, or link to where people can buy the book.

Please leave different comments for each point. So two comments if you follow a blog, etc.

Now, here are the blog stops and the day they will be posting their letters:

http://www.roofbeamreader.net/ - January 17th

http://epicrat.blogspot.com/- January 20th

http://www.thepageflipper.blogspot.com/ - January 22nd

http://readingthroughlife.ca/ - January 27th

http://shannonkodonnell.blogspot.com/ - January 28th

I really wanted every day filled, but I'm afraid some blogs we asked were unable to help...which is why you all get three points for posting your own letters. We want to spread the word more about DIO and also celebrate the author love, so please think about doing everything you can to enter this giveaway!

PRIZE PACK (Open to U.S./Canada)- ENDS February 4th!

 

Signed copy of David Inside Out by Lee Bantle (donated by the author)

I'll Get There...It Better Be Worth the Trip by John Donovan (donated by Adam from Roof Beam Reader)

Pre-Order of I Am J by Cris Beam (donated by Lizzy from http://cornucopiaofreviews.blogspot.com/)

Fun stationary/card set and postage stamps (donated by Cecilia from The Epic Rat)

Hardback copy of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (donated by Shannon)

~~~

Thank you to all the blogs on the tour, as well as the ones that donated a prize...and Lizzy because she donated without even being on the tour so feel free to follow her as well!

Amazon Associate: Buy the book, we get a small percentage

Blog Hop/Giveaway Details - Starts Tomorrow

David Inside Out Blog Hop

David Inside Out by Lee Bantle is the main premise of this blog hop. However, we wanted to make it fun and more interesting than some of the other "tours" that are just interviews and the like.

This one, instead, will have each stop of the tour posting a letter to one of their favorite authors. What does that have to do with DIO? Well, in the book, David and his best friend, Eddie, do the same thing...except their favorite authors are all romance writers and they actually mail them.

We aren't mailing ours, but they will be posted on the various blogs for you all to read and enjoy and at the same time...be entered to win a fun prize pack!

Everyone gets ONE point for EACH different letter they comment on. Plus, they get TWO points for EACH different blog they follow...if you already follow, that counts too. This blog (Let's Get Beyond Tolerance) counts too...so be sure to follow along for some extra points.

The tour starts tomorrow, which is when I will post the full Prize Pack, re-post details on how to enter, and I'll even post the blog host's link so you know where to go and when.

I wanted to have the full time filled up...but I'm afraid that didn't work out. So there will be random days where nobody is posting anything. HOWEVER, I thought it would be fun to have people entering the giveaway to post their own letters to an author if they happen to have blog.

If you do post your own letter, link back to THIS blog, and post the summary of David Inside Out (all in the same post) you will get THREE more points. This only counts for one blog you own and one letter you post, so don't post more than one.

Again, these details will be up tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know so you can start planning your letter or get ready to start HOPPING!

~Lauren


Amazon Associate: Buy the book, we get a small percentage!

Catherine Ryan Hyde Challenge- January

Welcome to the Catherine Ryan Hyde Challenge. I apologize for the linky closing on those who have signed up for this challenge. However, that's okay...this blog will be the main area from now on. Therefore, if you signed up, feel free to put a "I'm in" in the comment section just for good measure.

ALSO-If you review a Catherine Ryan Hyde book this month, please leave a comment with a direct link. I will try and update this page or a new one with all of the links for people to view.

Thanks again and please spread the word. People can keep entering and if we get more additions to the challenge, we might have some more giveaways this year!

In My Mailbox for the First Time Ever

I've never done In My Mailbox on here...but I figured it might be a nice way of showing off some new LGBT items I have (I being Lauren of course), especially if the actual review of it may take awhile to be posted.

However, I got Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley at Borders. They were having a New Year Clearance sale, and I picked this one up for a good deal. I'm pretty excited as I've been wanting to read it for awhile now. It sounds like a really good book...but very sad and realistic (which I do love as well!)

First Off: What's your thoughts on the book? Sound interesting? Oh, and be sure to check out the Don't Ask, Don't Tell post. No comments yet but we'd love to hear your thoughts on the new changes.

Second: What did you get in your mailbox? Any LGBT books?


Amazon Associate: Buy the book from this link and we get a small percentage.