LGBTQIA+ Novels At Your Bookstores

I was blog surfing (I dunno if I've coined this term), and stumbled upon my newest blogger and cat/dog enthusiast friend, Chiara Sullivan, who happens to have her own book blog and writing blog! A writing blog!!! So awesome! Anyway, ahem! Let's get back to the topic at hand. In Chiara's GORGEOUS writing blog, she recently posted something about LGBTQIA+ books not being represented properly in bookstores or in certain sections. And I feel it's pretty much the same in where I'm living at.

I have at least three local bookstores near from where I live and by near I mean an hour to and hour and half away from where I live. And when I do get to go to bookstores and not find what I'm looking for, in all of those bookstores, I feel dejected and disappointed by the lack of supply of certain book titles. And while reading Chiara's post, I have then realized that I have been unconsciously aware of the lack of LGBTQIA+ YA books in my nearest local bookstore.

If I count the number of David Levithan titles in the bookstores nearest to me, it might add up to 4, Every Day being the most popular. David is of course known for his boy on boy romances which are adorable and sweet but also depict the issues of being in such a relationship. It's hard to find copies of Two Boys Kissing too. There's also a lack of supply of Alex London's Proxy or Malinda Lo's Adaptation. If there are local bookstores that actually sell these, I think they are possibly minimal to none at all.

One other thing that Chiara mentioned over her post is it felt like LGBTQIA+ books weren't flaunted at all alongside  popular titles and I honestly think they need some spotlight focused on them and not just that! They deserve their own little section at a bookstore where readers, members of the LGBTQIA+ or not can enjoy them and relish on the goodness of what these authors have written.

It also seems like there's a huge emergence of LGBTQIA+ themes at the start of 2015 which have gained a lot of attention from readers and will for sure gain popularity if given the right amount of marketing by bookstores and sellers alike.

I think it's time for huge, chain bookstores to see the value of LGBTQIA books, not just for young adults but for all the generations. It's time to put them out there where the public can see and not something hidden behind what's popular. It's time to really and actually embrace the diversity that books provide.

Do you have an LGBTQIA+ recommendation no one has read yet or would like to read but can't find? Leave it in the comment section below! You can also find great titles on Goodreads lists on LGBT!

P.S. I think services like Amazon, Barnes and Noble online and The Book Depository are good places to find rare LGBTQIA+ titles. But if you want your local bookstore to get it for you, special orders can be done. Just transact with your nearest local bookstore and inquire! This may also raise awareness on certain book titles they haven't been selling. :)

Again, thanks to Chiara and her blog post for inspiring this!