BOOK GROUP NEWSLETTER
JUNE 2023
Happy Pride Month! As the rainbow flag flies over so many places this month, I thought it a good idea to bring you five books that deal with LGBTQ+ issues. I've included a middle reader novel, a teen novel, a queer romance and two adult books. Topics include coming out, trans kids, the AIDS crisis, and the love shared by LGBTQ+ folks.  

I've also made up a list of quotes from LGBTQ+ folks and their allies, courtesy of unexpectedvirtualtours that need to be read not only this month but every month of the year.  

Tammy Baldwin--"There will not be a magic day when we wake up and it's now okay to express ourselves publicly. We make that day by doing things publicly until it's simply the way things are."

Shrek---"People used to think I was a monster. And for a long time, I believed them. But after a while, you learn to ignore the names people call you and you just trust who you are."

Sir Ian McKellen---"Personally, coming out was one of the most important things I've ever done, lifting from my shoulders the millstone of lies that I hadn't even realized I was carrying."

Garth Brooks---"When we're free to love anyone we choose when this world's big enough for all different views, when we all can worship from our own pew---then we shall be free."

Kamala Harris---"Being an ally can't just be about nodding when someone says something we agree with--important as that is. It must also be about action. It's our job to stand up for those who are not at the table when life-altering decisions are made."

Elliot Page---"I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive."

Rachel Maddow---"The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you've just told them."

Frank Ocean---"I believe that marriage isn't between a man and a woman, but between love and love."



Have a great June reading experience!
Ken 
by Ami Polonsky

An extremely moving novel set in 1987. The FDA has just approved AZT as the first drug to treat AIDS. But it's too late for seventh-grader Iris's dad. He's dying, confined to a hospital bed in the apartment he shares with his boyfriend, J.R. (who Iris hates), four floors above Iris and her mom. Soon, all Iris has left of her kind, loving dad are memories, photos and a binder full of acrostic poems they used to exchange. As Iris navigates her rage and grief, she resolves to speak out against the rampant fear, misinformation, and prejudice surrounding AIDS---and find the pieces of Dad that she never knew before. In the process, she discovers surprising sides to J.R., the joy of true friendship, and the power of her own voice in school and at home. Kirkus Reviews says the novel is "simultaneously sad and life affirming; a poetry-filled inspiring call to activism." School Library Connection says the book is "A beautiful story which speaks of courage, family, love, anger, discrimination, ignorance and hope." Publishers Weekly says "Polonsky shows the power of activism to bring change and build community."
by Laurie Frankel

Laurie Frankel wrote this amazing novel in 2017, but its relevance is even more important today. When we first meet Claude, he's five years old, the youngest of five brothers. He loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress and dreams of being a princess. When he grows up, Claude says he wants to be a girl. His parents want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They're just not sure they're ready to share that with the world. Soon the entire family is keeping Claude's secret, until one day it explodes. Author Ruth Ozeki says, "Laurie Frankel has written one of those rare, special novels that examines the way we live---in our home, in our families, in our bodies---with an astonishing balance of humor, complexity and above all, kindness. This Is How It Always Is teaches us to look beyond traditional binary oppositions of boy versus girl, right versus wrong, real versus make-believe, and to find courage and beauty in the in-between." Actress Reese Witherspoon says, "Every once in a while, I read a book that opens my eyes in a way I never expected." Author Jamie Ford says, "This is a perfect club book, a book that should be read in schools, and one of my favorite books of the year. A challenging subject handled with honesty, grace, humor, dignity, and most of all, love."
by Laura Kay

This witty and engaging queer romance is set in London and environs. El is stuck in a rut. She's been hiding in the photocopier room at the same dead-end job for longer than she cares to remember, she has a roommate who leaves passive-aggressive notes on the fridge about milk consumption, and, worst of all, she's been in unrequited love with her best friend Ray-- the girl of her dreams--- for years. So when a plan is hatched for El, Ray, and their two closest friends---newly heartbroken straight Will and karaoke and TWILIGHT superfan Jamie---to ditch the big city and move to a ramshackle house on the edge of a rural English village, it feels like just the escape everyone needs. But are they ready for wayward chickens, faulty plumbing and slugs that squirm across the kitchen floor? In the June 4 NYT Book Review, author Casey McQuiston says, "The story that unfolds is buoyant, charming, delectably wistful and quietly earnest---not to mention British enough to beguile even the subset of Americans who cuddle up to the THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF on a Sunday afternoon." Author T.J. Alexander says, "Wild Things filled my heart all the way up. A hilarious story of queer friendship, queer longing, and queer triumph." The novel is Kay's third book but the first to be published in the United States.
by Carol Rifka Brunt

The hardcover of this wonderful novel has a special place on my bookshelf. Written in 2012, this was Carol Rifka Brunt's debut novel. Set in 1987, fourteen-year-old June Elbus is told that her beloved Uncle Finn has died of a mysterious illness (AIDS) and her world is turned upside down. At Finn's funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn's apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she's not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most. Author Caroline Leavitt calls the novel, "A gorgeously evocative novel about love, loss, and the ragged mysteries of the human heart, all filtered through the achingly real voice of a remarkable young heroine...How can you not fall in love with a book that shows you how hope can make a difference?" The book was named one of the best books of the year by The Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, Bookpage and Kirkus Reviews. It also won an Alex Award, given by the American Library Association to books written for adults but that have a young adult appeal.
by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, and Carlyn Greenwald

When Barclay Elliot, the star of the high school basketball team, comes out at a pep rally, he's not prepared for how quickly things change for him. The town shuns him. He's at odds with his teammates. His grandfather, who has always been one of his greatest allies, has died several months before and Barclay is still reeling at the loss. Basketball has always been one of Barclay's greatest loves and now he's in danger of losing even that. Who is Barclay if he doesn't have basketball? His best friend Amy drags him to her voter's rights group believing he can find a higher purpose. He also meets Christopher, an aggravating, fearless and handsome guy who doesn't have a thing in common with Barclay. Or does he?  I found this to be a fine coming out novel co-written by one of the stars of WILL & GRACE. Publisher's Weekly calls it "a timely queer romance...vibrant, well-defined characters add credibility to issues surrounding grief, love and prejudice. A seamless, engrossing read." 
BOOKS & COMPANY BOOK GROUPS
Open to the Public
Wednesday, June 28th
1:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Marie Benedict
Registration required-
limited seating available



Wednesday, July 26th
1:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Elizabeth Letts
Registration required-
limited seating available
Wednesday, June 21st
6:30 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Angeline Boulley


No registration required for PRADAS book group meetings.


Wednesday, July 19th
6:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Joanna Ruth Meyer
Tuesday, June 27th
4:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by S.A. Cosby


No registration required for Mystery book group meetings.


Tuesday, July 25th
4:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Stuart Turton
UPCOMING EVENTS!
Readings from Oconomowaukee

SUSIE LUO

In Conversation with
Daniel Goldin and
Lisa Baudoin


Wednesday, June 21st
2:00 p.m.
at Books & Company
Join us for our June edition of Readings from Oconomowaukee. This month will feature author Susie Luo in conversation with Daniel Goldin and Lisa Baudoin for Luo's novel Paper Names- an unforgettable story about the long shadows of our parents, the ripple effect of our decisions and the ways in which our love transcends difference.


In Person Author Event

JENNIFER CHIAVERINI

Thursday, August 17th
6:00 p.m.
Oconomowoc Public Library 
 Join us for a lovely evening at the Oconomowoc Public Library with author Jennifer Chiaverini for her new book Canary Girls- a lively and illuminating novel about the "munitionettes" who built bombs in Britain's arsenals during World War I, risking their lives for the war effort and discovering camaraderie and courage on the soccer pitch.

This free event is sponsored by the Oconomowoc Woman's Club and co-hosted with Books & Company. 

WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER

Friday, September 22nd
7:00 p.m. 
at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center
Dawes Studio Theater 
3270 Mitchell Park Dr, Brookfield, WI 53045 
 
 
Join Boswell Book Company and Books & Company for a lovely evening with author William Kent Krueger for his new novel The River We Remember at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts.