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    Annie On My Mind
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    Annie On My Mind
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    Annie On My Mind
    Audiobook7 hours

    Annie On My Mind

    Written by Nancy Garden

    Narrated by Rebecca Lowman

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    This groundbreaking book, first published in 1982, is the story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateDec 23, 2008
    ISBN9780739367445
    Author

    Nancy Garden

    Nancy Garden (1938–2014) is the author of the groundbreaking LGBT novel Annie on My Mind, as well as numerous other works of young adult fiction. She also wrote the YA nonfiction book Hear Us Out!, several novels for children, and the picture book Molly’s Family. Garden received the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award.  

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    Reviews for Annie On My Mind

    4/5

    576 ratings45 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Liza wants nothing more than to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an architecture student. As a senior in good standing, and class president, of a private high school, she has a good chance, as long as nothing terrible goes wrong. Annie wants to sing. She attends a public high school, but she is sharp and creative, not to mention talented. Both girls don't quite fit in with their peers.They meet in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, beginning a friendship that becomes much more than that. Liza is surprised to discover that she has fallen in love, complicating an already complicated situation that has developed at her school.The novel follows Liza and Annie's deepening relationship, their struggle to come to terms with it and each other, as well as their attempt to hide their feelings from those around them. But when their private lives are thrust into public view, their world collapses into turmoil.Annie on My Mind is simply a beautiful, heartfelt love story of two young women, making it a controversial and often challenged young adult novel which has been banned in several places in the United States.Experiments in Reading
    • 5/5
      Oh my God! This book was so absolutely amazing!

      Starting off, I'd felt a bit bored, but once I really got into it, I couldn't stop reading! I just had to read the next chapter!

      Annie On My Mind was eye opening, mind boggling, heartwarming and heart-wrenching all at the same time!

      Liza and Annie's story was full of complications, misery, pain but also joy and love. It was a story to suffer through and still one to cherish.

      I'd probably read it all over again, again and again, because that's how amazing it was!

      5 stars, no doubt about that! <3
    • 4/5
      Annie on My Mind is a captivating novel and a tender love story. Liza is studious, serious, and the head of student council at a private school called Foster Academy. One day at a museum, doing research for a solar house she is designing (her dream is to be an architect), Liza meets Annie. Annie is beautiful, mysterious and has an enchanting singing voice. She pretends to be fantastic creatures and characters from stories. The two girls become best friends, and their friendship deepens into romance - which causes a scandal at Liza's uptight school. This is a very sweet and beautiful book with a happy ending. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      The story of two high school girls who meet in their senior year, become fast and close friends, and then move from friendship to love. They try to keep their relationship a secret because they worry that their families and friends won't understand, and when they are discovered, those worst fears become reality.I understand why this book, published in 1982, made the 100 Banned Books list, as I suspect it had all kinds of conservative knickers in all kinds of twists. It's a great book, though, and the love story between Liz and Annie is lovingly and well told, and the uproar caused by their relationship is deftly depicted in what seems to me likely accurate terms. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      Beautifully written, and richly narrated. My only wish is that I were in my teens and reading Annie, not discovering this diamond in my 30's. Despite the often anachronistic references like paying for phone calls with change, the themes in the book are still quite relevant today. The progress made since the book was written frames the horrid attitudes encountered, and serves as a stark reminder that some people haven't changed their views or lost their hate one iota in the third of a century since Annie's writing. The ending will leave you wanting more, but not because the author failed to deliver, but rather because there were no endings like Annie's ever before. Annie On My Mind is a truly worthy read and listen for anyone of any age, whether they're young now or were young when we truly needed and deserved a happy ending to our stories.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Two girls fall in love, but of course there are homophobes all around them. Their friendship and eventual love is utterly believable--I still remember their swordfight in the Cloisters. A good, rather meloncholy YA book.
    • 4/5
      I can't believe I hadn't read this novel before, as it's obviously a classic among lesbian young adult literature. A very sweet story that still feels very contemporary, even though it was written more than 25 years ago. All young people should have the chance to read a story like this, just to see what love between girls might look like from the inside.
    • 4/5
      Oh for pete's sake. I was going to say that this book is somewhat dated, a little contrived, but overall lovely and still valuable to those who still feel a bit squeamish about lesbian love.

      But then I read the gr community reviews. Such bigotry, such hate... I'm appalled that there are still people, apparently people with access to the English language and to books, who don't recognize that love is what matters, and that it's none of their business what happens in other people's bedrooms.

      So, read this book and get the word out so fewer people have to deal with being called 'sinful' or 'disturbed' or 'sick' just because they love someone of the same gender. Some day this book will be only of relevance to historians. Would that day come soon.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Classic (published in 1982) coming of age story, this book was one of the first to positively portray teen lesbians finding both themselves and each other. Highly controversial in the early 80s, it is now found in most school and public libraries serving young teens. One of the first "coming out" stories to not end in violence/suicide/or some other horrible fate for the main characters. (Karen)
    • 5/5
      All I can say is even after 20+ years, it's still a classic that holds up over time. Well worth the read.
    • 4/5
      Young adult book about two 17-year-old girls falling in love. First published in 1982, it was groundbreaking at the time. I only discovered it recently, although I was a big fan of Garden's fantasy, Fours Crossing, published just the year before—indicating that Annie must not have been available in the libraries I frequented. A nice book, and definitely tame by present standards. The 25th anniversary commemorative edition that I borrowed from the library contained an interesting interview with the author.
    • 5/5
      I completely understand why this book is still important and relevant to those searching for answers about love in an L/G relationship, esp. as a 'coming of age' story. The description of the emotional intensity of the two girls' feelings for each other, how they connect so quickly, and how they deal with the different stages of the relationship - they all ring so true that reading the book felt at times like reliving some of those wonderful 'first moments' in different relationships.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Surprisingly contemporary for an early 80s novel, especially a YA novel about homosexuality. I wish I could say some I the moralizing and preening in the name of religion some of the antagonists do is anachronistic, but these days it's actually a political platform. Nevertheless, this novel also does a great job of foregrounding many of the challenges adolescents face gaining autonomy over their own bodies (not just sexually). Very well written (save the lack of clarity as to why the girls lose touch)--HIGHLY recommended.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book so much, I just couldn't put it down. It really resonated with me.
    • 5/5
      Annie on My Mind. By Nancy Garden. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Ltd. 1982. 234 pages. 0374303665. Grades 8-12.When Liza happens upon Annie at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she feels despite their different personalities and background that she has met a lifelong friend. As they grow closer, however, Liza realizes that her feelings for Annie run deeper than just friendship – and luckily Annie feels the same way. Their relationship blooms tenderly until it is discovered, and Liza feels like her life is crashing down around her. Though societal attitudes towards homosexuality have changed (for the most part), Garden’s novel is still a seminal text in the canon of lesbian YA fiction, especially for lesbian youth awash in pop-culture depictions of male homosexuality (not that the “gay best friend” trope does much in advancing representation of gay male youth). The novel’s themes are universal – teenage love, acceptance, self-discovery – and Garden’s deft portrayal of the girls’ romantic intertwining from Liza’s point of view is a compelling and realistic depiction of teenage emotions. The work has aged well (in both its New York setting and observant representation of adolescence, it reads like a lesbian Judy Blume novel) – slight chronological dissonances do not detract from the emotional journey upon which the invested reader accompanies Liza, as many gay teenagers do face similar issues in forging romantic relationships, coming out, and discovering themselves. Keep Annie on My Mind on the shelf for all the young women, questioning or self-affirmed, who would like to read and learn from the experiences of those who came before them.
    • 5/5
      Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden is number 42 on the list of the most banned / challenged books and according to the description on the 1992 reissue, it was even burned in Kansas City. For all of that publicity, it's an absolutely charming story of love.The book opens with Liza in college writing a lengthy letter to Annie. The letter is the segue into a number of flashbacks about how Liza and Annie met. Just as Claudia (From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konisburg) finds herself through her adventures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Liza finds Annie.Although both young ladies are in high school, they like to partake in roll playing and other childish behavior. While it may strike some readers as quaint or unrealistic, it struck a chord with me. My then boyfriend (now husband) once pretended to be Robin Hood to woo me. We were in college at the time — only a year or two removed from Liza and Annie.As far as the romance goes, it's a pretty tame book. There's one mostly hinted at scene near the end. What is more shocking and saddening (because of its continued timeliness in some parts of the country) is the bigotry Liza faces at her private school.I read the novel on a BART ride to and from San Francisco. It made an hour and a half round trip journey go by quickly. I plan to check out more of Nancy Garden's novels as I have time.
    • 4/5
      Quite good, though I think it shows that this was written in 1982.
    • 2/5
      Liza and Annie become best friends after a chance encounter at a museum. They go to different schools and come from very different families, but see each other regularly and grow a very tight bond. That bond eventually turns to more than friendship after a kiss, as Annie reveals that she believes herself to be a lesbian. Liza always thought she felt different from other girls, but never considered her sexual orientation to have anything to do with it. While house sitting for two of her female teachers, Liza makes the mistake of inviting Annie to play house with her and the two get into trouble with the school and parents. They get into a fight, decide to split, go to different colleges but soon realize that their love has endured and rekindle it at the end of the novel.
    • 4/5
      This book tells the endearing story of Liza and her discovery of her homosexuality. Liza falls in love a girl names Annie. The book takes place in New York. It is told mostly in first person from Liza's perspective (with a couple of pages that are in third person, but still follow Liza). Liza (and her teachers) face charges from their school when they are caught together and their secret is exposed. I would recommend this book for teens ages 14-18.
    • 3/5
      Thank you, Nancy Garden, for tackling a taboo. However, I just can't get through this book, no matter how sweet it is.
    • 3/5
      I found Annie on My Mind to be a sweet and tender love story. I liked that neither Liza nor Annie looked like what people presume ALL lesbians look like: short hair, tomboyish, and more than a little butch. Good to Nancy Garden for not falling directly into the stereotype and showing that lesbians come in all shapes and sizes and don't fit into any one particular mold. Another thing I liked was that Annie on My Mind showed Liza and Annie slowly falling in love. Sure, they both realized that there was some spark between them, but they didn't automatically jump into the relationship. They became friends and gradually fell in love. That made it all the more sweet to me. All of that being said, while I liked Annie on My Mind, I didn't love it. I just didn't think the story was enough. I felt like more could have been added. I felt like something was missing to make it truly spectacular to me. I don't know what, though. I just felt like the book just sort of meandered along and it didn't leave me with any strong impression either way. I do feel that Annie On My Mind shows how far we've come when it comes to the tolerance of other people's sexuality, but it also shows how much farther we still have to go. There are still tons of people who react to homosexuality in a negative way, regardless of the fact that more people are informed on the subject. I do think that Annie on My Mind was a good starting point in that regard.
    • 4/5
      Seventeen year old Liza first meets Annie at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The two become fast friends even though they are very different. Liza comes from an upper middle class family and goes to private school and hopes to go to MIT when she graduates. Annie comes from a lower middle class family and is a talented vocalist who attends public school and hopes to attend college at the University of California, Berkley. Their relationship quickly grows more and more intense and soon the girls share their first kiss. Annie and Liza are both confused by this and struggle with the possibility that they might be gay.The book is an exploration of the friendship and love between the two girls. It was originally published in 1982; it was fascinating to see how far we as a society have come with regard to attitudes about homosexuality. In many ways this book wasn't much different from any young adult novel about first love. In fact, when this book published it was the first of it kind - a young adult novel with homosexual protagonists that had a hopeful message.I listened to the audio version of this book, which included a recent interview with the author at the end. One of the things the interview asked her about was if the book had ever been banned in light of its controversial subject matter. She said the only place it had ever been banned was in Kansas City. Since I'm from the Kansas City are I found this particularly interesting and horrifying. I really enjoyed this book both as a young adult romance and as a piece of LGBT history.
    • 3/5
      This was a pretty interesting book. It got better as the plot developed, but it was somewhat hard to get into. The book dealt with lesbian relationships in a respectable manner and really let you see into the insights of a different perspective.
    • 4/5
      Teen romance is one of the most popular topics in young adult literature, but few cover the area of homosexual teen romance. Nancy Garden gives us a story of two young women falling in love for the first time, with all its excitement and worries and heart. Liza is a perfect student, head of the student council and well liked, though not popular. But when she meets Annie and finds herself enchanted by the girl’s imagination, she does not know how to explain her feelings. They both know it’s more than just friendship, they both want and need each other in a way that is more intense. When they realize what they are feeling is love, they must decide how it will affect their lives and the choices they must make.
    • 5/5
      I can see why this is viewed as a ground-breaking book of its kind. I also see why it is a controversial one, and a taboo topic for some people. I really liked this book as a story, besides its daring topic.
    • 5/5
      This was the very first book I read after I came out in 2009, so this book means a lot to me. Not only do I love it for that reason, but I also love it because of the struggle Liza goes through at school, which I also went through (sort of). This book is really hard for me to review because of how much it means to me. I can relate to so much in it. Annie on my Mind is an emotional roller coaster. One minute you are laughing, the next you're crying and then out of no where you are so angry you want to toss the book out the window. At least that's how I felt about it. That anger could have just been old memories. The love that Liza and Annie have for each other is so sweet and innocent, and, I don't know, inspiring? I hope I find someone like Annie someday.
    • 5/5
      This is a beautifully written book, however, it doesn't exactly tell you why Annie and Liza stopped talking. It just kind of hints at it, and the ending didn't make much sense to me. It has good details, and it's very honest and true, and I felt myself feeling like I knew exactly the way Liza was describing the way she felt.
    • 4/5
      I loved this audiobook. The narration is very well done especially the way the narrator uses different tones and inflections to reflect the characters. It's a coming of age story that was written many years ago and is still relevant today with regard to the challenges faced by young girls when first discovering their love for other girls. It is a sweet story, a romance with a happy ending.
    • 4/5
      Annie on My Mind is a historically important book because it was one of the first, if not the first, to show that lesbian couples could have a happy ending. I liked, however, that the book wasn’t set in a fantasy land where lesbian couples never encountered any problems because of their homosexuality. In this book, 17-year-old Liza, a private school girl, randomly meets Annie at a museum and instantly takes a liking to her. Annie, originally from California, doesn’t have any friends at her public school in New York, and the two soon become inseparable friends. Somewhere along the way, the two girls realize that they are falling in love with each other. But all hell breaks lose when officials from Liza’s school find out about the relationship. The story is told from the perspective of Liza but from the distance of almost a year after the events took place. I found the framing device of Liza in college thinking back over her senior year of high school and meeting Annie a bit odd – I couldn’t understand the reason for writing the story like that. The writing style wasn’t bad, but it didn’t astound me either. That is one of the reasons I don’t rate this book higher. The second is that this is essentially a romance novel, and I’m not a huge fan of romances. That being said, I’d certainly recommend the book for anyone who is struggling with coming out, but I’d also recommend it to heterosexuals to get an understanding of what it’s like to be a gay teenager.
    • 5/5
      "Annie on my Mind" is a truely inspirational novel. It teaches its readers that they can love and be loved, no matter the gender. But the book also tells its readers that love is not all butterfly kisses and frolicking through the meadows. It show that there are still many people out there who discriminate against homosexual relationships.It did not take me long to read through and finish this book but as I read I could feel he emotions of the characters and found a little piece of myself hidden deep within the depths of the souls of the two main characters. By the end of the I felt the lonliness that Eliza felt and was near tears(weither joyful or sorrowful I cannot say in case thouse who have not finished stummble upon my comment).I hope to find more books with a genre similar to this novel and written just as well.