The Price of Salt becomes...Carol

The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith was originally published under a pseudonym, Claire Morgan. Most people probably know Highsmith (writing under her own name) as the author of such thrillers like The Talented Mr. Ripley. The reason I'm talking about The Price of Salt today is because the novel is what inspired the new movie, Carol, starring Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett. You can see the trailer for Carol below:

While Highsmight felt she had to publish under a fake name, it's still amazing that she wrote The Price of Salt and that this movie might help circulate the book some more. It's definitely something I'm curious to read (and I do want to see the film as well!) One personal reason I'm excited about seeing Carol is because it's meant to be 1950's New York (I believe around there...) but it was actually filmed in Cincinnati, Ohio, which is where I'm from. We've had a lot more studio companies using Cincinnati and its surrounding areas to film these past few years. Just a tidbit I thought I'd share.

So tell me...have you read The Price of Salt or seen Carol yet? Will you read the book and/or see the movie in the future?

-Lauren

2016 LGBTQIA Reading Challenge

I'm taking part in a variety of different challenges for 2016 over at ShootingStarsMag, which should be interesting as I've never done more than like...two challenges in a year. I hope I do well though and check out some new books and meet new bloggers. As for this blog here, I HAD to sign up for the LGBTQIA Reading Challenge hosted by Pretty Deadly Reviews.

I read a lot of LGBTQIA books already so I think this will be a fairly easy challenge to do. However, I am really excited to see what the other participants read and hopefully I can find some new titles along the way. I tend to post a lot of LGBT+ book reviews over at ShootingStarsMag because they are from Netgalley and that's the blog linked there, but I am going to try and cross-post here in 2016 after the initial post to help with the challenge and for those of you who only follow this blog. I don't want you missing out on some great LGBT+ titles!

This challenge has levels based on colors of the rainbow, and I'm going to start at:

Green: 21 to 30 books (the highest is Purple - 41-50). I'm pretty sure I can do MUCH better than Green, but I like to start out easy enough just in case. 

Are you going to sign up for this challenge? Whether you do or not, what challenges are you doing in 2016?

-Lauren

Give GAY for the Holidays + Merry Christmas to You All!

To everyone that celebrates, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! If you do not celebrate any holiday this time of the year, I still hope all is well and you are having a great December. I got an email from author Robin Reardon a week or so ago that was titled "Give GAY for the Holidays" and that's totally something this blog can agree with!

To help with that, Reardon's three novels below are available at a discount price until January 3, 2016 so definitely think about grabbing at least one title. I know I'm planning too! This is a great deal to support LGBT+ fiction.

THROWING STONES: $3.99

Something is drawing seventeen-year-old Jesse Bryce toward the community of Pagans who live in "the village," just outside his rural Oklahoma town. Maybe it's that he has a crush on Griffin Holyoke, a tall, dark-haired boy with a tree tattooed all up his back. Or maybe it's that the Pagans accept Jesse for who he is, unlike his family—or his church, where he hears that being gay is a sin.

Amazon
iTunes
Available soon at the reduced price on Barnes & Noble

EDUCATING SIMON: $2.99

Everything sixteen-year-old Simon Fitzroy-Hunt loves in is in England. There’s his school, his boyfriend, his cat, and especially Oxford University, which Simon plans to attend just as his beloved late father planned. But all of Simon’s certainties come crashing down when his mother remarries and drags him to Boston with her.

Amazon
iTunes
Barnes & Noble

THE REVELATIONS OF JUDE CONNOR: $4.99
 

Jude Connor’s rural Idaho hometown is a place of strong values and high expectations. For those who fit into the local church’s narrow confines, there’s support and fellowship. For those who don’t, there’s ostracism in this life and certain damnation in the next. Jude wants desperately to be saved—to believe with the fervor of the charismatic Reverend Amos King, whose sermons are filled with brimstone and righteousness. But every time Jude thinks he’s found the right path, there’s a fork in the road, and Truth seems to be in a different direction.

Amazon
iTunes
Barnes & Noble

Etsy Pride (12): Rainbow Mug + Snowman Ornament

It's been a few weeks since I did an Etsy Pride, so I'm back! The holidays are either happening or are fast approaching, so I thought I'd share some fun items that you might want to use your holiday gifted money for after Christmas, etc. Or if you aren't going to see someone until later, you might be able to buy them something still!

Dancing in the Rainbow Mug from Pigment and Hugh for $15

This would be great for dancers or other types of artists, or even someone that really likes Singin' in the Rain!

LGBT Ceramic Snowman Ornament from New Pride Designs for $11.99

I know the holidays are almost over, but snowmen are great throughout the Winter. Plus, you can always get it now and save it for next year so you have it on hand!

Nsync's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"

Christmas is exactly one week away! I can't believe it. Time really does fly by sometimes, doesn't it? In honor of the holidays, I thought I would share "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by Nsync. Boy band member, Lance Bass, came out after Nsync and seems to have had mostly positive reception since then!

What are your favorite Christmas songs?


-Lauren

Story: Honoring Your Transgender Children

source - Steve Peace Tattoos

I came across this story on Facebook and I had to share it. A mom from Calgary, Canada has portraits of all three of her children tattooed on her. However, her son Ace was born a girl and later transitioned to a male. In honor of that and to further show their son support, the father (a tattoo artist) retouched his wife's tattoo to better depict Ace. You can see the two tattoos side-by-side in the photo above. If you would like to read the article, please do!

As someone who is quite scared of needles, I don't see myself ever doing anything like this if I had children, but I know that if I did, I would want the tattoos to represent who my child identifies as, and if that means retouching a little girl into a little boy or vice versa, then so be it! I imagine if you had the names tattooed it might be a little more difficult, but I would want to find some way to honor my son or daughter.

What about you? Would you retouch a tattoo if your child came out as transgender? What do you think about this particular story in general?

-Lauren

LGBT Book Reviews Elsewhere

Celebrity Readers reviewed Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Naomi's Reading Palace reviewed The Good Girls by Teresa Mummert

Candace's Book Blog reviewed George by Alex Gino

If you review an LGBT+ book or see one reviewed elsewhere, please feel free to let me know so I can add it to my next round up!

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Review by Lauren

Source: copy from library; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

Review: This is easily one of my new favorite books and I think it's something that pretty much everyone should read. It took me a bit to find the time to grab this one, but I'm so happy I finally did. Don't wait too long - you're sure to love Simon!

Simon has an email relationship of sorts with a guy from his school. That's all he knows about his identify, as he refers to himself as Blue. Simon and Blue, instead, share all sorts of other personal and fun facts about themselves, trying hard not to give themselves away with anything too obvious. Simon is desperate to know the guy behind the computer screen, even though he isn't out himself. However, Blue is far more anxious about this than Simon and doesn't want to exchange phone numbers or meet in person.

Besides Simon and Blue's emails (which were great!), we have plenty of story lines with Simon. There's his family, his friends, and even a fellow musical theater guy who is blackmailing Simon to help him win over a girl. If Simon doesn't help, this guy will reveal that Simon is gay (and perhaps even share information about Blue). Simon isn't quite ready to come out, but he's far more worried about breaking Blue's trust than anything else.

This book feels like a guy wrote it, which is fantastic! It's funny, emotional, realistic. Yeah, Simon is gay and he likes a guy he doesn't quite know. But there is so much more to him and this story. You need to read it!

Check Out Status Update by Annabeth Albert

 

Sorry I didn't have many posts last week! It was quite hectic, but I hope to have more this week! Today, I'm more or less sending you over to ShootingStarsMag to see my latest m/m book review courtesy of Netgalley. It's called Status Update by Annabeth Albert and it's a really cute read for the holiday season! 

Official Summary: Adrian Gottlieb is winning at life. He's a successful video game designer with everything a man could ask for, including a warm comfy ride to Denver and a date for his sister's wedding. But he finds himself in need of a total reboot when he's left stranded at a snowy campground in Utah. Holiday plans? Epic fail.

That is until Noah Walters offers him shelter for the night and a reluctant cross-country ride. Nothing about the ultraconservative geoarchaeologist should attract Adrian, but once he discovers Noah's hidden love for video games, the two connect on a new level. Soon, a quiet but undeniable chemistry sparks.

Something doesn't add up, though. As the miles accumulate and time runs out, Noah must face the most difficult choice of his life. Meanwhile, Adrian must decide whether he's ready to level up. Is their relationship status worth fighting for, or has this game ended before it's even begun?

Does this sound good? Definitely check out my review if you want to know more of my thoughts, but it was enjoyable in case you need a quick verdict!

Repost Review: The New Art of Capturing Love: The Essential Guide to Lesbian and Gay Wedding Photography

I can't believe it's December! I really love this month though, so I'm pretty excited. Now, as to this post, I have decided to do some Repost Reviews every now and then. These are LGBT+ themed books that I reviewed over at ShootingStarsMag during my break from Let's Get Beyond Tolerance. I thought it would be nice to share them again here for you all to enjoy! If for whatever reason you want to see my original post, it's here.

The New Art of Capturing Love: The Essential Guide to Lesbian and Gay Wedding Photography by Kathryn Hamm and Thea Dodds

Review by Lauren

Source: Copy from Blogging for Books; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: With nearly half of the states in the US (and 13 countries) currently recognizing same-sex partnerships, the market for LGBT weddings is poised for explosive growth, offering great opportunity for today's wedding photographers. But capturing portraits in this new market requires a new approach to posing, which until now has been nearly exclusively oriented toward pairing a larger man in black with a smaller woman in white. What works for Jack and Jill won't necessarily work for Jack and Michael, let alone Jill and Louise. The New Art of Capturing Love rewrites these traditional techniques, giving photographers the tools to create flattering, emotion-filled images for any couple in today's dynamic wedding market.

Review:  I might not be a professional photographer, but I can admire good photography. Plus, I'm a big fan of love, in all types of forms. Therefore, I really loved checking out this book about LGBT wedding photography. I've never given it much thought, but it's true that a lot of typical wedding shots would not work for a couple of the same sex. It was really interesting to see new pose ideas in this book. They even include ideas for the wedding "objects" like dresses, suits, shoes, rings, etc. as well as wedding party/group shots.

source

There are Behind the Lens moments where the photographer whose photo is highlighted share some thoughts about the shot, or the couple in the shot. I loved the more personal information the best, of course, since I don't take pictures for a living. I think this book has a nice mix for fans of photography to those who want to try and recreate these moments. I liked how the authors included their thoughts throughout the book to help photographers in using some of these ideas. They note to talk to the couple and see how comfortable they are with PDA and other things that photographers might take for granted. They also note how some poses will work better for some couples than others, depending on heights, what they are wearing, etc.

source

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I hope it does well because it has some great tips for Gay and Lesbian weddings!