Sent to the San Diego County Library Valley Center YA branch (Young Adult books may be a greater weakness of mine than children's books. I spent the summer of 2000 reading for some library program, mainly because I had nothing to do and was just young enough at seventeen to be able to participate. That was the year...well, I'll explain in a bit when I get to the books I sent.)

Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle (I saw this on the list and I nearly cried with happiness. Not so much because it's a good book, though it is, but because hopefully someone who needs a story like that will find it.)

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden (Nothing against Lauren Myracle, but Nancy Garden's books are probably the most highly-regarded YA novels about gay teens, as they should be. I actually first found this book by accident. Its cover was on a poster of 'banned books' and I think I managed to do a quadruple-take when I saw it. Maybe I was just an exceptionally dumb kid, but it had never even occurred to me that there would be a novel about someone in my position - that summer I think I drafted about a dozen suicide notes, not really intending to follow through so much as I hoped that someone would read them and approach me, because I was just too damn chicken to sit my parents down and say "look, guys, I'm gay." I wish I could track down every author that I read that summer - and whoever came up with Amazon's "people who shopped for this also
shopped for" suggestions - and thank them for making my life a whole lot easier. Even though what I was reading with fiction, it made things seem, I don't know, more manageable somehow. Anyway, Annie on My Mind was the first one I read, and although not my favorite, it's considered her "classic." And I've finally figured out how common my position [if not my melodrama] was...maybe some kid in San Diego will be helped by these books too. And if nothing else, they're good books worth reading.)

Cut by Patricia McCormick (Another subject far too close to my heart. And a pretty good book. Come to think, I should've sent Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Hesser too. If no one else does, I'll send it with my next shipment.)

Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras by Cathy Hopkins (Figured I should send something else on the wish list, and the title made me laugh.)

Wow. Once again it occurs to me that I talk too much.

Hopin' this year's book drive is as successful as the first!

CG