Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Alice is generally pretty happy. She has two best friends who are about to get married, a summer job at her local library, an undeclared college major, and a supportive if overbearing and judgmental family. But things get shaken up when she gets a new coworker, Takumi, who she is instantly attracted to. He's off-the-charts cute, smart, sweet, and funny, and he seems to like her back. There's just one problem-- Alice is asexual, and her previous attempts at relationships have all gone... badly.

Will Alice and Takumi get together? Will she stand up for herself with her family? Will she hold onto her friends as their lives all change? Read it to find out!

This is a charming book. Alice is a quirky and energetic main character who talks a mile a minute and is a joy to follow. She comes off as immature at times, and some of her references are a bit esoteric for those who aren't denizens of Tumblr, but even if those go over your head, there's a lot to like. Asexual characters are a rarity, and asexual characters with romantic arcs even more so, and non-white ones are rarest of all. This book is a gem, and if you're looking for a fresh experience and an unconventional romance, it's worth picking up.

The Snagglepuss Chronicles: Exit Stage Left by Mark Russell

Snagglepuss, a famous Broadway playwright in 1953's America, is called before the House Un-American Activities Committee for potential subversion of the government with his performances. He denies it. Behind his fantastic life, however, Snagglepuss is living a hidden life as a homosexual man, with a sham marriage to a woman who knows his secret, and a boyfriend who he meets regularly at a bar. While he tries to get his latest production off the ground, HUAC refuses to let him go and hunts for some proof of their claims, hoping to turn the playwright into an example and ruin his career.

The Snagglepuss Chronicles is bizarre in all the best ways. It takes itself very seriously, which makes the fact that it portrays Hannah-Barbara classics such as Huckleberry Hound, Quickdraw McGraw, and the eponymous Snagglepuss as closeted gay men during a very turbulent time in American history all the better. No one would expect these characters to be anything more than two-dimensional, like their original selves, but these are men with deep flaws, sincere personalities, and honest relationships... and it somehow works. It provides a wonderful look at the duplicity of people in positions of power, and how that power can corrupt and make you blind to doing what’s right. In many ways, Snagglepuss is very reminiscent of the 2015 film Trumbo, except replace Communism with homosexuality.

With its new and interesting take on some classic characters, The Snagglepuss Chronicles is delightfully strange, and strangely heartfelt.

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

In the village of Varenia, all girls are trained to be the most beautiful and charming, so that they may be chosen at the ceremony to marry the prince of Ilara. Nor and her identical twin sister Zadie are born undoubtedly as the most beautiful in Varenia, but a childhood incident gives Nor a small scar on her face. In a village that believes the beauty of a woman is all she has, this scar makes her damaged goods. This takes the burdens of being perfect off of her, allowing her to help her family as the village begins to suffer. When Zadie is chosen at the ceremony to become the prince's wife, it is no surprise to anyone, but each sister longs for what the other has. Nor wants to leave the small village and see the world, and Zadie wants to stay and marry her love in Varenia. In a twist of fate, they both get what they believe they want, and while Zadie learns her own strength in a new world of lies and obsession, she may also lose everything she holds most dear.

This coming-of-age story makes you cheer for the underdog and scream in support of the power of a woman. Zadie, who comes from one of the poorest villages, fights for her beliefs and values as a woman in a man’s world and survives unquestionable odds.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Glennon Doyle, author of the New York Times bestseller Love Warrior, has written a book that is part memoir, part self-help, part uplifting feminist theory. She discusses what it means to be a girl or woman living in a cage, being taught to doubt herself and be demure and little instead of big and, as she calls it, "knowing." Basing her theories and revelations on events in her own life, as well as spirituality, Doyle brings to light the oppressing factors that women deal with in society every day.

Doyle does a fantastic job creating a narrative around social stereotypes in young girls and women, highlighting the obstacles she herself, as well as her family, have had to endure. Discussing struggles in marriage, with self-doubt, personal image, and other issues she is able to preach on the importance of "knowing:" knowing who you are, trusting your knowing, etc. She did a phenomenal job connecting social paradigms with real life and was able to write a moral boosting book. It was an enjoyable experience listening to Glennon Doyle's passion as she narrated the audio version herself. For readers who enjoy light self-help with a focus on feminism, mixed with some spirituality and personal experiences.