Friday, December 8, 2017

The 2017 Rainbow Award Winners Announced! (#trans #bisexual #queer)

More than 400 books, 137 judges, $13,000 raised for LGBT charities. Yes, it is once again time to talk about the Rainbow Awards, a wonderful organization which I have been delighted to be a part of since 2010.

You can review the complete list of winners here, but I wanted to showcase the categories that I am always most excited about.

♥ Best Transgender Book
1) Having Her Back Ann Gallagher
2) #Trans: an anthology about transgender and nonbinary identity online Evelyn Deshane
3) Dangerous Times Isobelle Winter

Runners Up:
4-tie) Peter Darling by Austin Chant
4-tie) Scarred by Mia Kerick
4-tie) The Urn Carrier by Chris Convissor
5) The Heart of the Lost Star (Tales of the High Court #3) by Megan Derr

Finalists:
6) Blood Borne (The Republic #3) by Archer Kay Leah
7) Flaunt (F-Word #1) by E. Davies
8) Becoming Kerry by Lynn Kelling
9) Outside the Lines by Caitlin Ricci

I have not read the winner, but I can tell you that Ann Gallagher just catapulted to the top of my to-read list. As for the runners-up, I quite enjoyed Austin Chant's take on the Peter Pan story, and while I have not read this latest chapter, I loved the first book in Megan Derr's series. As for the finalists, I do have to politely cry foul there, because Lynn Kelling (in my opinion) really should have been among the winners.

♥ Best Transgender Debut
1) Dangerous Times Isobelle Winter
2-tie) Peter Darling by Austin Chant
2-tie) The Urn Carrier by Chris Convissor

I probably would have given Austin Chant a slight edge over Isobelle Winter, but both are deserving of being recognized (and read). Chris Convissor I have not read, but I am curious.

♥ Best Transgender - Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance & Romantic Comedy
1) Scarred by Mia Kerick
2) Flaunt (F-Word #1) by E. Davies

Runners Up:
3) Becoming Kerry by Lynn Kelling

Finalists:
4) Outside the Lines by Caitlin Ricci

I have not read most of these, but I am pleased to see Lynn Kelling at least made it from finalist to runner-up in this category.

♥ Best Transgender - Sci-Fi / Futuristic, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy & Fantasy Romance
1) Dangerous Times Isobelle Winter
2) Peter Darling by Austin Chant
3) The Heart of the Lost Star (Tales of the High Court #3) by Megan Derr

Runners Up:
4) Blood Borne (The Republic #3) by Archer Kay Leah

No argument here, although it reminds me once again that I really do need to catch up with Megan Derr. :)

♥ Best LGBT - Non Fiction
The Dirk Vanden Award for Gay Biography / Memoir

1-tie) #Trans: an anthology about transgender and nonbinary identity online Evelyn Deshane
1-tie) Equality: What Do You Think About When You Think of Equality? Paul Alan Fahey

Runners Up:
2) One-Man Show: The Life and Art of Bernard Perlin by Michael Schreiber

Finalists:
3) Cornyation: San Antonio’s Outrageous Fiesta Tradition by Amy L. Stone
4) Dog Church by Gail Gilmore
5-tie) Dispatches From Lesbian America by Giovanna Capone, Xequina Berber, Cheela Romain Smith
5-tie) Fried & Convicted: Rehoboth Beach Uncorked by Fay Jacobs

A bit of an odd category, with most of the titles not really of interest to me, but I am delighted to see Evelyn Deshane come out on top in such a busy group of books.

♥ Best Bisexual, Lesbian & Transgender - Historical & Historical Romance
The Sandra Moran Award for Lesbian Historical Romance

1) The One Thing I Know Keelan Ellis
2) Trafalgar and Boone in the Drowned Necropolis Geonn Cannon

Runners Up:
3) Mistress of Mogador by T.T. Thomas

Finalists:
4) Beast at the Door by Althea Blue

At a glance, I do not see any overtly transgender titles here, but Geonn Cannon looks like a lot of fun and is definitely going on the to-read list.

♥ Best Bisexual, Lesbian & Transgender - Young Adult
1) Having Her Back Ann Gallagher
2) You are not me ('90s Coming of Age series #2) Leta Blake

Runners Up:
3) Pictures of you ('90s Coming of Age series #1) by Leta Blake
4) Pieces by G. Benson

Finalists:
5-tie) Death and Love at the Old Summer Camp by Dolores Maggiore
5-tie) This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Dana Alison Levy

Another win for Ann Gallagher, which is delightful, and while I have not read these two books, I have read some of Leta Blake's other work and she is well worth a read.

Congrats to the authors across all categories!

No comments:

Post a Comment