Fun Home:A Family Tragicomic- gay/lesbian

Alison Bechdel, author of the comic 'Dykes to Watch Out For,' strikes a cord with a look back on her family life. This memoir told in graphic novel form (comic book form) is easy to devour in one sitting. The drawings and short dialogue actually slow you down in a good way and help you focus on the simple story of a girl, her father and the secret they both keep. The narrative is both hilarious and heartbreaking all with the back drop of the family business- a funeral home- or as the family and title describe, a 'fun home.' Eventually, as Alison is away at college, her and her father form a bond over books but the attention is both overwhelming and repulsive- not really understanding why he finally offers the relationship she had longed for. This is great for just about any reader teen and up (due to one slightly explicit sex scene) but would be a great fit for those just coming out or dealing with family issues and sexuality.

Lesbian Pulp Fiction- Lesbian Anthology

Gay and lesbian literature has come a long way from its early years as trashy little paperback novels but this collection of pulp fiction will remind you how far that really is. This hefty anthology pays homage to the past and you will find yourself lingering over the pages, laughing at the over sexed descriptions and wanting to head online to find these out of print supermarket treats. This collection is good for the old school lesbians as a sort of blast to the past but also a great fit for us youngsters that need a little lesson on our history. Either way the book is a brilliant collection put together by Katherine V. Forrest with a little historical context in the foreword. Skip lesbian literature 101 and pick up this volume today and if you're not sure the cover gives a good idea of what you're in for!