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3 must-read LGBT books – Metro US

3 must-read LGBT books

Just in time for Pride Week are three new books, all giving a real glimpse of what it means to come to terms with coming out. From two humorous, yet poignanttrue stories, to one Young Adult book that will make you tear up, all three of these picks deserve your attention.

“Bad Kid” by David Crabb

This coming of age memoir truly captures the confusion and awkwardness of adolescence compounded by realizing you’re gay. From the moment he realized he was gay (while listening to George Michael’s “Faith,” of course) to joining a clique of misfits who listen to The Smiths and Joy Division, David Crabb’s high school experience sounds (mostly) hellish, but he writes about it in a way that’s both candid and humorous. He takes readers on a wild ride as he experiments with sex and drugs, all with a ’90s backdrop.

“Intimacy Idiot” by Isaac Oliver

You may or may not already be familiar with Isaac Oliver’s off-Broadway show “Intimacy Idiot,” which has been performed at New York City’s Ars Nova on and off for the past three years. The book takes his hilarious stories about being a single gay man living in the city to the masses. From Grindr hookups gone wrong to hooking up with a man dressed as a dolphin, you’ll be happy to be just the audience and not in his place.

“More Happy Than Not” by Adam Silvera

This YA novel has a powerful narrative that will make you cry, but will also blow you away. Aaron Soto is a teen growing up in the Bronx, and life hasn’t been easy for him. His family is struggling financially and his father committed suicide. That’s on top of all the other typical teen fare, like friend drama and relationship problems. When he meets Thomas, things change. Thomas is the only person who seems to get him. But when Aaron realizes he likes Thomas as more than a friend, he has to deal with a whole new set of problems.

Author Adam Silvera has a lot in common with the protagonist. Like Aaron, he grew up in the Bronx and also grappled with what it means to be gay in a culture that isn’t necessarily so accepting of that. His book is a compassionate read that you’ll want to pass on to everyone you know.

Follow Emily on Twitter: @EmLaurence