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Flamer

Mike Curato

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Award-winning author and artist Mike Curato draws on his own experiences in Flamer, his debut graphic novel, telling a difficult story with humor, compassion, and love.

“This book will save lives.” —Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of National Book Award Finalist Hey, Kiddo

I know I’m not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They’re mean, and scary, and they’re always destroying something or saying something dumb or both. I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe.

It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes—but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.

Godwin Books

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Posts about this title from Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)

Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)\ \ Alex (he/him/his)\ \ • Apr 14

Spring Seasonal Readathon This Weekend (April 17 - April 21st) | Bingo Card, Recommendations, & More!

I'm hosting another seasonal readathon this weekend! Enclosed are recommendations, the reading sprint schedule, and access to the bingo card.

52 books

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Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)\ \ Alex (he/him/his)\ \ • Oct 15 2025

Autumn Book Recs! 🎃🍂📚

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Posts about this book from across Bindery

Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)\ \ Alex (he/him/his)\ \ • Apr 14

\ \ Join for free or login](https://pucksandpaperbacks.binderybooks.com/item/HQ0fGFaJev2LPzp84Ora/)

I'm hosting another seasonal readathon this weekend! Enclosed are recommendations, the reading sprint schedule, and access to the bingo card.

52 books

3

Reading Fools\ \ Marston Quinn\ \ • Mar 12

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[Banned Books Central List \ \ As many of you already know, I have a real thing for banned books. Specifically, I like to read them and explain why they shouldn’t be banned.\ \ Although recent book banning has focused on targeting marginalized groups, especially the LGBTQIA and black communities, there’s a long history of censorship that stretches back throughout human history, has affected every group, and been perpetrated by every group.\ \ I’m currently working on a video series in which I read and discuss banned books. As I update that series, I’ll indicate which books I’ve read and which books I plan to read here. Note: I source my banned books from lists compiled by the GOATs on this subject, the American Library Association and PEN America .\ \ Banned Books I’ve Read for the Series\ \

Banned Books Central List

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Reading Fools\ \ Marston Quinn\ \ • Mar 1

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> February was a mix of genre fiction, literary fiction, memoir, and steamy romance with some banned books thrown in.\ \ The Devils(Amazon/Bookshop) by Joe Abercrombie. February’s pick for my boys book club. It reads like a well-executed Dungeons & Dragons campaign, which is a good thing. A Suicide Squad-like group of ne’er-do-wells are press-ganged into service by a fictionalized, women-led Catholic Church in a fantasy medieval Europe where Carthage’s witchdoctors built Venice, the Pope is a ten-year-old girl (and the most gifted magic user in her generation), and human-eating elves have taken over the Holy Land. I laughed more during this book than any other read in recent memory.\ \ Kitchen Confidential(Amazon/Bookshop) by Anthony Bourdain. One of my favorite memoirs and also the rare book that perhaps works even better as an audiobook, delivered of course by the inimitable Bourdain. The book captures Bourdain’s life as a chef before he became a global phenomenon, and if you’re unfamiliar with that period of his life, I highly recommend giving it a read (or listen!).\ \ The Edge of Sadness(Amazon) by Edwin O’Connor. I read this book with TikTok’s excellent Panic_Kyle as part of his ongoing series in which he is reading all the Pulitzer Prize-winning novels. This winner from 1962 follows an Irish-American Catholic priest who finds himself unexpectedly entangled with a sprawling family from his past. I loved this book, which has been largely forgotten, and I highly encourage you to give the description a read and see if you might like it too.\ \ Ejaculate Responsibly(Amazon/Bookshop) by Gabrielle Blair. This book should be taught in schools. Truly, you can read it in under an hour and—in particular—I think it will change the way men look at certain responsibilities.\ \ More Heated Rivalry , specifically Game Changer(Amazon/Bookshop) and The Long Game(Amazon/Bookshop) by Rachel Reid. What can I say? They’re fun brain candy to listen to while I’m doing dishes. I do a lot of dishes. Game Changer is actually the first book in the series, although it’s adapted into Season 1 of Heated Rivalry as a sub-plot, and The Long Game is the sixth book, but the most direct continuation of Ilya & Shane’s story. Having listened to it, I’m ready for Heated Rivalry season two!\ \ The Snowy Day(Amazon/Bookshop) by Ezra Jack Keats. Apparently everyone on Earth except me knew about this beloved 1962 children’s classic, following a young boy named Peter during an unexpected snow day in the city. I found out about it during a visit to the New York Public Library’s Polonsky Treasures exhibition, where the most checked out copy is on display, because The Snowy Day is the most checked out book in the history of the NYPL.\ \ Gender Queer(Amazon/Bookshop) by Maia Kobabe. I’ve started a regular series reading and discussing banned books over on social media and I kicked it off with this graphic novel, which has become one of the most banned books in America. Kobabe is nonbinary and uses e/eir pronouns. Gender Queer is eir memoir of coming to terms with eir identity and is about as harmless as can be. I also happen to think it’s a great introduction to aspects of the gender spectrum many people might not have a lot of familiarity with.\ \ Flamer(Amazon/Bookshop) by Mike Curato. The second banned book we looked at, Flamer is a semi-autobiographical story influenced by Curato’s own experiences as a closeted teen with a Catholic upbringing and his experiences with the Boy Scouts in the summer of 1995. Another quick, great read which doesn’t deserve any of the pushback it’s gotten.

February Reading Roundup

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Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)\ \ Alex (he/him/his)\ \ • Oct 15 2025

\ \ Join for free or login](https://pucksandpaperbacks.binderybooks.com/item/vl9LCNPA61ICSv2qeqXB/)

Autumn Book Recs! 🎃🍂📚

38 books

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Wanderland Reads\ \ Sayer\ \ • Apr 7 2025

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Banned and Challenged Books

📚✨ Join me as I kick off our ongoing series on Banned Books!

These are must-read titles that challenge censorship and spark meaningful conversations. These books often face banning for their themes of social justice, sexuality, and political dissent.

Let’s celebrate our freedom together! What’s your favorite banned book? Share your suggestions for our library!

#BannedBooks #FreedomToRead #LiteraryAwareness #representationmatters #wanderlandreads

65 books

Peppered Ink\ \ Mary\ \ • Feb 6 2025

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Happy Hour and Book Bans

Let's talk HB-710 and a few other ridiculous measures we ought to be challenging.

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