10 Books I Must Read In 2017

Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink by Milk Morinaga

It’s yuri and written by Milk Morinaga. Here’s a little synopsis, “When the cherry blossoms bloom it means the start of another school year—and for the girls at Sakuraki High, it signals the birth of new dreams, fears, and relationships.”

Needful Things by Stephen King

Stephen King is literally the king of the Horror genre. I am obsessed with his writings. Here’s a synopsis, “Leland Gaunt opens a new shop in Castle Rock called Needful Things. Anyone who enters his store finds the object of his or her lifelong dreams and desires: a prized baseball card, a healing amulet. In addition to a token payment, Gaunt requests that each person perform a little “deed,” usually a seemingly innocent prank played on someone else from town. These practical jokes cascade out of control and soon the entire town is doing battle with itself. Only Sheriff Alan Pangborn suspects that Gaunt is behind the population’s increasingly violent behavior.”

The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry by Alan Kaufman

I’ve had this book for years and never cracked it open. I bought it during my angsty teenage phase. Here is what a reviewer had to say, “This is a fabulous book of poetry. Not the kind of poetry you’re going to read in your high school English Lit class. This is real straight-from-the-gut poetry.”

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

I purchased this book for a dollar I think. I am curious to see if I actually enjoy the ONE book that was apparently made in THREE films. “A glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible . . . All those, young or old, who love a fine adventurous tale, beautifully told, will take The Hobbit to their hearts.” – New York Times Book Review

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

I hear that this book is a must read in the LGBTQ community so I figure it has to be a good book. “This groundbreaking book is the story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings.”

Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger

This book was recommended to me by Amazon. So I bought it. “Angela Katz-McNair has never felt quite right as a girl. Her whole life is leading up to the day she decides to become Grady, a guy. While coming out as transgendered feels right to Grady, he isn’t prepared for the reaction he gets from everyone else. His mother is upset, his younger sister is mortified, and his best friend, Eve, won’t acknowledge him in public. Why can’t people just let Grady be himself?”

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Another book I purchased because Amazon told me to. “The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.”

Jesus Land: A Memoir by Julia Scheeres

This was 70% off at Barnes and Noble, so obviously I purchased it. “At home, the Scheeres kids must endure the usual trials of adolescence – high-school hormones, incessant bullying, and the deep-seated restlessness of social misfits everywhere – under the shadow of virulent racism neither knows how to contend with. When they start to crack (or fight back), they are packed off to Escuela Caribe. This brutal, prison-like “Christian boot camp” demands that its inhabitants repent for their sins – sins that few of them are aware of having committed.”

MW by Osamu Tezuka

This manga was on sale at a comic shop. For only $3 I figured why not buy it. “MW is a chilling picaresque of evil. Steering clear of the supernatural as well as the cuddly designs and slapstick humor that enliven many of Tezuka’s better-known works, MW explores a stark modern reality where neither drive nor secular justice seems to prevail.”

The Assassini by Thomas Gifford

Another book purchased on sale for less than $5. “In the Vatican, priestly vultures gather around the dying Pope, whispering the names of possible successors.  In a forgotten monastery on Ireland’s gale-swept coast, a dangerous document is hidden, waiting to be claimed.  And in a family chapel in Princeton, New Jersey, a nun is murdered at her prayers.  Sister Valentine was an outspoken activist, a thorn in the Church’s side.  When her brother, lawyer Ben Driskill, realizes the Church will never investigate her death, he sets out to find the murderer himself–and uncovers an explosive secret.”

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What are you guys reading this year?