Simon James Green—the expert in awkwardness, the geeky teen boy whisperer, and the writer of wonderfully second-hand-embarrassment comedies that also have a romance plot that make you believe in love again—has blessed us with another YA book.

In You’re the One That I Want, 16-year-old Freddie is done having life pass him by. After a life-changing confrontation with the star of his mother’s new hit TV show, Jasper, he decides that he has to change. Thus he starts The Freddie Project, which makes him say ‘yes’ to everything with the help of his friends Ruby and Sam. Where that leads him is saying yes to his high school’s production of Grease and into the arms of handsome and charming Zach. But not everything is as it seems, change is hard, high school is even harder, and sometimes the one you want turns out to be not the right one after all.

As is the norm with Simon James Green books, this story sends you through the motions. You will cringe with secondhand embarrassment, you will want to protect Freddie at every cost, you’ll swoon, you’ll laugh out loud (for someone who never laughs out loud during books, this was a novel experience for me back when I picked up Noah Can’t Even) and most importantly, you will absolutely fall in love with these characters. Freddie and his friends are utterly charming, so, so relatable and the chemistry and banter is just always, always, always off the charts. I only wish that we would’ve seen more of Ruby’s and Sam’s experiences, because it sometimes felt as though they started opening up and Freddie just went on about his own love life. But even despite some bouts of self-absorbedness, this friendship group is one that you wish you had (if you do have it: congratulations!).

What I thought was especially moving was the topic of growing up queer in an environment that might not always be kind to you and the effects that can have on a young person. Despite including some more serious topics, Green always writes his stories with such easiness that you fly through them in no time. In the end, you can’t help but feel tightly hugged by your favourite person afterwards. You’re The One That I Want is no exception. I will guarantee that it will put a smile on your face whether you’re a teenager and experiencing high school for yourself at the minute, or an adult who will wish that we could do it all over again.

But besides a heartwarming story and wonderful characters, this book is filled with so much fun! Sneaking around, stolen kisses, theatre, drama (I mean we are talking theatre kids), twists and turns that make you go  “oooooh!”, friendship, so much food and of course one message that is loud and clear—always be yourself (although working towards being your best self is also okay).

You’re The One That I Want is a beautiful gay coming-of-age story that I can only recommend with all my heart to readers of all ages. I hope that you will fall as in love with Freddie and his friends as I have.

You’re The One That I Want is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up You’re The One That I Want? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Freddie has a reputation as a ‘nice guy’ – inoffensive, sweet, kind – and therefore completely un-dateable.

As he starts sixth form, Freddie decides that this nice guy isn’t going to finish last any more. No more missing out on parties because he’s got to do his homework. No more saying no when he really wants to say yes. And most of all no more lusting after unobtainable straight boys who enjoy the attention but ultimately break his heart.

Freddie embarks on a series of changes designed to transform his social and romantic life, and suddenly he’s a drama darling, getting invited to all the popular kids’ parties, and hot new boy Zach is showing an interest. Life couldn’t be better!

But the path to love is never smooth – and Freddie’s about to learn that changing everything about yourself isn’t necessarily a foolproof way of finding the right person…

The post Review: You’re The One That I Want by Simon James Green appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Well, we at The Nerd Daily want to make your life even more magical by recommending some fabulous reads based on your favourite Gilmore Girls character (yes, I know, it’s terrible to make you choose, I wouldn’t be able to, either) so go forth and read, booklovers. Make Rory Gilmore proud!

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS LORELAI GILMORE
You’re an avid coffee addict, can talk circles around anyone even in your sleep, and have (or aspire to) the kind of confidence that leaves people gaping at your ingenuity and quick wit. You enjoy reading books that keep you on your toes and make you have an emotional reaction – the story just has to be as unforgettable as people describe you to be.

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS RORY GILMORE
You have read all the greats – from Pushkin to Tolstoy, if it’s classic, chances are a copy of it is stowed somewhere in your room. You enjoy stories that are epic, that require you to keep your wits about you while reading and make you reevaluate your values and beliefs. Classic tales with a new twist are right up your alley.

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS EMILY GILMORE
You like tradition and order and you like to fit in – whether that’s in the office or in your friends group. You also have a penchant for being the leader of activities and events. You have a natural talent for making people do what you expect of them. If you find the time to read, you want something that is in high esteem and possibly with dark wit that makes you cackle in secret. You also have a hidden love for musicals and are a believer in the one true love of your life.

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS RICHARD GILMORE
Ah, yes. The patriarch of the Gilmore clan, the man who adores reading about history and still can’t seem to get over mistakes made in the past. A dignified man who appreciates family values and taking responsibility.

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS JESS MARIANO

While you might be seen as a bit of a bad boy or a rebel, you’re a softie at heart who believes in true love, fighting for what and who you love and above all, making the scrappy life look ridiculously hot. You read anything from Jane Austen to Allen Ginsberg – as long as it keeps you invested, you are here for it.

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS LUKE DANES
You are outdoorsy and so, if you have to read a book instead of enjoy nature, it better be about nature. Or at least something about sports. Or, you know, just a book that is like Luke – steadfast, loyal and deserving of the description “wholesome grump”. You would also go to the ends of the earth for your loved ones and no sacrifice is too big to make sure that the people you care about are taken care of.

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS SOOKIE ST. JAMES

Let’s face it, Sookie is wholesome, heartwarming and her hugs are probably just as life-affirming as her incredible food. 

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS LANE KIM
You are all about the music – you would sacrifice everything for it and there’s no one who knows more about the best and the worst music in the world than you. You like to snatch up the aux cord on any road trip and are all about educating your friends and family with fun facts about obscure musicians that they never knew they needed.

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS PARIS GELLER
It’s no secret that you are fierce AF, ambitious and determined to a fault. What you want, you get. You work hard and you don’t have time for people who will distract you from your goal. You love stories that are based on honour, moral fibre and integrity…and maybe a bit of revenge now and again.

YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS KIRK

You’re the person who stands out in any room, who will try anything once just to see if it suits your tastes and while you may be a bit awkward at times, your heart’s also in the right spot.

Who’s your favourite character? Or do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Book Recommendations Based on Your Favourite Gilmore Girls Character appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

While quarantine has prevented us from having the summer of our lives with lots of fun and adventure, it gave us Simon James Green’s new novel, Heartbreak Boys, which is all we ever needed to have a fantastic summer by way of literary travelling. Nate and Jack are going on a roadtrip across the UK and we get to come along! We were lucky enough to talk to Simon about all things roadtrips, summer, and his new characters that are destined to steal your heart.

Congratulations on another fabulous book, Simon! Where did the inspiration for writing a roadtrip novel come from?

Thank you! I’ve always loved roadtrip stories – they have an epic quality, both in geographical terms, but also because the trip is usually a metaphor for some kind of major character growth along the way. Often, of course, they are set in the US, so I really wanted a UK-based trip, which would naturally be less glamorous!

Besides a lot of fun and a lot of romance, Heartbreak Boys features some more serious but important themes, such as bullying and the effects it can have. How important is it for you to insert these themes into your books?

Comedy will always be first in my mind because I really want to see books out there featuring LGBTQ+ kids which aren’t full of trauma and where they get their happy ending. But I also think one of the powerful things about comedy is that you can use it as a way in to discussions about more difficult subjects. Homophobia and bullying is a real thing for a lot of LGBTQ+ people, so including it is both a reality, and also a way of understanding how some of the characters behave. If I can ease people in to that through the lens of comedy, then all the better – I think real life can be a rollercoaster like that, laughing one moment, crying the next.

Nate and Jack have two different approaches to being themselves, to being gay and out. How important do you think it is for readers to see different kinds of gay characters, especially at an age where coming out might be one of their concerns?

Everyone is different, and everyone’s experience is different and valid. I’ve always believed that the body of LGBTQ+ literature is richest if it includes the widest possible range of gay characters – everyone should see themselves and their experience in the pages of a book. I think this is particularly important for younger readers, so they understand there’s no one ‘way’ to be gay.

Instagram and social media play a huge role in Heartbreak Boys, as Jack and Nate try to “outdo” their exes in terms of having a fantastic summer, even if it only looks like it in pictures. What is your take on this “faking realities online” matter?

Well, I think most of us are complicit in it – how many of us post about our crushing disappointments or all the boring things that happen during our day? Social media is usually just the highlights reel, but the book also touches on the fact it’s not exclusively social media which does this. In so much of our lives, we only tell people certain things, or we might downplay something that went wrong, or an upset. People constantly have a mask on, being the type of person they think other people want to see. Heartbreak Boys is about cutting through that and seeing the real person underneath.

Is there a main message you want your readers to take away from this book?

Always be yourself, do your thing, do it with passion, and never let anyone take that away from you.

You are doing a lot of work with young adults in schools, what have you learned from them and are your experiences with these kids in some way inspiration for your books?

The teenagers I meet and work with are always brilliant. I’m permanently inspired by their enthusiasm, their passion, and their openness. Things have definitely improved for LGBTQ+ teenagers, but they still face bullying and homophobia, so there’s still work to do. Listening to their stories always gives me ideas for my books, whether it’s a theme, a character, or a storyline. Also, listening to the way real teenagers talk is essential if you’re going to write convincing dialogue.

Shortly before Heartbreak Boys, you published a children’s book called Llama Glamarama, which features a Llama that is unapologetically glamourous. How was working on a picture book for you?

I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed the challenge of writing a story in so few words, but even better was the process of collaborating with the illustrator, Garry Parsons, who brought so much to the project in terms of the character of the llamas and their sense of humour – as well as their glamour, of course!

Do you have anything on the horizon that you can tell us about?

My debut middle-grade book released on September 3rd. It’s called Life of Riley: Beginner’s Luck, and it’s about a ten year old boy who gets cursed by a fortune teller at a fairground and whose life then becomes one disaster after another. Riley has to find a way to remove the curse before his new best friend, Brad Chicago, realises he’s just become mates with the unluckiest kid on the planet. I’m also working on three books for next year, including a new YA title.

And lastly, if you were to go on a roadtrip with three fictional characters, who would you pick and why?

I think, for pure comedy value, I would have to pick Noah, Harry and Bambi Sugapops from my Noah novels – it would be endlessly entertaining, and can you imagine the bickering along the way?!

Will you be picking up Heartbreak Boys? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Simon James Green, Author of ‘Heartbreak Boys’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

I would like to start this review by saying this: I love Simon James Green and my favourite book of his is Noah Can’t Even.

Now, Heartbreak Boys is about Jack and Nate who find out that their respective boyfriends have been seeing each other behind their backs. It gets even worse, when their exes start up an Instagram account to flaunt their perfect relationship in everyone’s faces. And now, that the summer holidays have begun, Jack and Nate are determined to out-do them on Instagram. They go on a roadtrip across England with Nate’s family in a camper van and end up in places where they have to put their creativity to work to make them look insta-worthy. Caught up in their revenge plan, the two boys start getting along better and better themselves…

This former friends to acquaintances, to annoyed at each other friends and then to lovers story is everything. The roadtrip across England is mostly a mess. They keep landing in places that shouldn’t be able to compete with the sun and beach pictures of their exes, but somehow do. They go from camping to a talent show in a run-down pub to a festival that turns out to be all veggie (which honestly, as a vegan, I thought was the perfect place to be but somehow the boys disagreed) and many more wonderfully odd adventures. It also deals with themes such as coming out, falling in love, accidentally hurting people and being hurt, and most important of all: to always be your most authentic self. As a reader, I constantly felt like I was on this trip with them. As in, I was actually on the trip, not just observing but actually part of the action, which made this book deliciously exciting for my summer stuck in decidedly not England and in quarantine.

There is nothing I didn’t love about this story. The characters are so wonderfully rounded that you can always tell whose voice you are reading in (Nate or Jack’s). It is very easy to tell them apart on the page, even without their name being mentioned, which is not easy to achieve. Nate’s family, especially his sister, are absolute gems you never want to stop reading about and these fantastic people being all stuck together in random situations is a true joy to experience.

Heartbreak Boys is hilarious, it is sad, and it is so romantic that you will swoon and gasp and sigh. Simon James Green is truly a master of writing awkward, funny and endearing love stories. This is a must-read for your 2020 summer.

I would like to end this review by saying this: I love Simon James Green. And I can’t believe I am saying this (someone cover the ears of my Noah copy), but Heartbreak Boys is now my favourite book of his.

Heartbreak Boys is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up Heartbreak Boys? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Faking the best summer ever is a lot harder than it looks…
At the start of summer, Jack and Nate find themselves dumped as their respective exes, Dylan and Tariq, start up a new relationship together. Not only that, their exes start posting pics on social media, showing the whole world how fabulous their new life together is!

Jack and Nate are reeling. Not to be outdone, they decide to create their own ‘highlights reel’ and show their exes that they’re having an even better time.

But between the depressing motorway service station motels, damp campsites, and an ultimate showdown with the exes, something epic really is happening: Jack and Nate are learning to get over their heartache and open themselves up to new possibilities for love.

A hilarious story of heartbreaks and hijinks from award-winning author Simon James Green.

The post Review: Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Court of Lions is the long-awaited second and final installment in the “smart, sexy, and devilishly clever” Mirage series by Somaiya Daud (Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful)!

More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han, a sweetly funny YA rom-com debut about falling in love, familial expectations, and being a Renaissance Man.

Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A tale as old as time is made new in Ashley Poston’s fresh, geeky retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The acclaimed author of After the Lights Go Out returns with another compelling YA thriller – a timely novel about the intensity and unpredictability of human behaviour under pressure.

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets Roswell by way of Laurie Halse Anderson in this astonishing, genre-bending novel about a Mexican American teen who discovers profound connections between immigration, folklore, and alien life.

Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A YA novel about searching for answers, love, and your eccentric grandma in all the wrong places.

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, this unforgettable coming-of-age debut novel explores issues of race, class, and violence through the eyes of a wealthy black teenager whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots.

Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Adrienne Kisner’s Six Angry Girls is a story of mock trial, feminism, and the inherent power found in a pair of knitting needles.

You Were Made For Me by Jenna Guillaume
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Katie didn’t mean to create a boy. A boy like a long-lost Hemsworth brother: six-foot tall with floppy hair and eyes like the sky on a clear summer’s day; whose lips taste like cookie dough and whose skin smells like springtime. A boy who is completely devoted to Katie. He was meant to be perfect.  But he was never meant to exist.

Every Little Piece of My Heart by Non Pratt
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When Sophie receives a parcel from her best friend, Freya, she expects it to contain the reason why Freya left town so suddenly, without goodbyes and without explanation. Instead, she finds a letter addressed to Win, a girl Freya barely knew – or did she? As more letters arrive for more people on the periphery of Freya’s life, Sophie and Win begin to piece together who Freya was and why she left. Sometimes it’s not about who’s gone, but about who they leave behind…

Skywatchers by Carrie Arcos
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From National Book Award Finalist Carrie Arcos comes a thrilling, genre-bending mystery about the history of the Cold War and the UFO phenomenon. Perfect for fans of In the Woods by Tana French and Netflix’s Stranger Things.

Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A hilarious story of heartbreaks and hijinks from award-winning author Simon James Green.

What August 2020 YA releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post August 2020 YA Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

For our Pride Month Read, we picked Noah Can’t Even by the fantastic Simon James Green.

We were all convinced that we couldn’t either, if we were in Noah’s shoes. From questioning his sexuality because his best friend Harry kissed him out of the blue, to his mum putting on the most embarrassing Beyoncé cover act, to having to deal with his classmates and other irritating issues a 15-year old boy could have. Noah manages quite well in our eyes, considering all the drama that comes his way.

Mimi from the Book Club summed the book up quite well: “Never have I ever met characters who were this pure of heart but dumb of ass and that’s my favourite combo ever.”

We can’t help but agree. While we shared laughs and our favourite funny scenes, we also got talking about straight culture and how far that might play a role in why Noah acts how he acts and thinks how he thinks, e.g. that it’s high time for him to have a girlfriend, even though he hasn’t paused for a second to think about whether or not he actually wants one.

Besides reading this fabulous story together, we hosted an exciting giveaway this month, in which our members were asked to send in stories of their past in which they “couldn’t even”. We then had a vote and are excited to announce that our member Barry won a rare physical copy of the Noah short story “Noah goes Nuclear”, which was available at the Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) in London one year. We hope Barry loves the story as much as we do and for everyone who wasn’t lucky this time, the short story can be found on Simon’s website.

But of course, we don’t want to keep the fantastic stories from you that we received! So have fun reading! If you’d like to join us, you can find us on Goodreads and our book for the month July is A Phoenix First Must Burn.

Hope to see you there!

#1 Ordering A Bear

Okay so I was in London and I was at a pub with some of my friends and the bartender was seriously cute so I decided to give it my all and flirt with him when I went to get a round of drinks. I was kind of nervous because he was so hot and my English isn’t perfect. So I walked up to him, smiled, and ordered in my most British sounding accent. It was all fun until I ordered a berry flavoured cider and for some reason my brain didn’t remember the correct word for berries and ordered ‘a cider with bear’. It took a while until he understood and when he did, he laughed so loudly half of the pub was looking at us and I was mortified. Obviously the flirting was put on ice, but even worse, the guy kept looking over and randomly starting to laugh the rest of the night and my friends thought it was equally funny. I was so embarrassed.

#2 Lunch In The Loos

Hi! What happened to me still haunts me today and I get random flashbacks to it. I was in high school at the time and I had this huge issue about eating in front of other people (I was slightly chubby back then and was bullied)… Sometimes I would eat my lunch in the bathroom, like sitting on a toilet getting my lunch out trying to be as quiet as possible so no-one heard what I was doing… This one day it was very busy in the toilets while I was eating my sandwich and all of a sudden the door to my cubicle opens and my classmate is standing there staring at me… That’ll teach me to never ever forget to lock a cubicle again. I was so embarrassed I didn’t talk to her for the rest of our time there.

#3 Drunken Shenanigans

A few years ago I was on a night out and I got drunk INCREDIBLY quickly to the point that I had to be supported down the street from friends so I didn’t fall over. We went in a new bar but it quickly became evident that I needed to go home. A taxi was called. As we waited, I fell asleep in the street and my friends later told me that a homeless person felt so sorry for me that he put his blanket over me to keep me warm while we waited. I got taken home (I don’t remember any of this…) And woke to find myself completely naked in the kitchen as my brother’s girlfriend walks in. Suffice it to say I couldn’t look her in the face for weeks.

#4 Can I try that?

I was at a barbecue with some friends and one of the girls invited had brought her boyfriend who was sitting next to me. He opted for a burger while I had a sausage. She had some grilled vegetables. So he leaned over and examined the sausage I was eating and asked “Can I try some of that?” a good reaction would have been to say “sure, so ahead” and let him have at it. Was that what I did? Nope. I honest to god said “sure” and cut him off a piece of my sausage which was then of course on my fork. I have no idea what I was thinking but between the awkwardly fumbling with my fork and his knife on his plate and feeding him, there literally are no other options. Awkward fumbling it was. Everyone was clearly taken aback and I felt so embarrassed. Since then, I avoid him at parties – and this was 2 years ago!

#5 My meet-and-kiss
I was incredibly lucky to have won a meet and greet with one of my favourite singers. I went there all giddy and excited and when he hugged me in greeting, we kind of went into the same direction with our heads? Which may or may not have ended with my lips brushing the corner of his mouth? As a VIP fan, I had the perk of staying in the venue right after the M&G so technically front row rights. Trust me that I was standing way way in the back with the reddest face I’ve ever had and can’t even recall most of the concert.

Have you read Noah Can’t Even? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Nerd Daily Book Club: June 2020 Wrap-Up appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hello and welcome to round two of our Pride-themed book recommendations! This time around, we’re on two the second letter in the acronym: G for Gay! Find below a wonderful mix of books and there’s something there for everyone! Whether you’d like to read something tasteful and try some classic poetry or you’d rather disappear into some heartwarming and tension-filled graphic novels, no worries, we got you covered!

Adult Fiction

Less by Andrew Sean Greer
A love story, a satire of the American abroad, a rumination on time and the human heart, by an author The New York Times has hailed as “inspired, lyrical,” “elegiac,” “ingenious,” as well as “too sappy by half,” Less shows a writer at the peak of his talents raising the curtain on our shared human comedy.

Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
Shifting from the intoxication of first love to the quiet melancholy of growing up and growing apart, Swimming in the Dark is a potent blend of romance, post-war politics, intrigue, and history. Lyrical and sensual, immersive and intense, Tomasz Jedrowski has crafted an indelible and thought-provoking literary debut that explores freedom and love in all its incarnations.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Cyril Avery is not a real Avery or at least that’s what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he?In this, Boyne’s most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit. 

Young Adult Fiction

The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg

Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they’re willing to risk — to get the thing they want the most. 

Alex in Wonderland by Simon James Green

In the town of Newsands, painfully shy Alex is abandoned by his two best friends for the summer. But he unexpectedly lands a part-time job at Wonderland, a run-down amusement arcade on the seafront, where he gets to know the other teen misfits who work there. Alex starts to come out of his shell, and even starts to develop feelings for co-worker Ben… who, as Alex’s bad luck would have it, has a girlfriend. Then as debtors close in on Wonderland and mysterious, threatening notes start to appear, Alex and his new friends take it on themselves to save their declining employer. But, like everything in Wonderland, nothing is quite what it seems…

Jack of Hearts by Lev AC. Rosen

Meet Jack Rothman. He’s seventeen and loves partying, makeup and boys – sometimes all at the same time. His sex life makes him the hot topic for the high school gossip machine. But who cares? Like Jack always says, ‘it could be worse’. He doesn’t actually expect that to come true.

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course.

If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.

Fantasy & Sci-Fi

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat

Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave. Beautiful, manipulative, and deadly, his new master, Prince Laurent, epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.

Reverie by Ryan La Sala

All Kane Montgomery knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. He can’t remember how he got there, what happened after, and why his life seems so different now. And it’s not just Kane who’s different, the world feels off, reality itself seems different.

The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards

Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment’s missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home. In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family’s death and the torments of his past?

Plays, Classic, and Poetry

The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez

You have to wonder why there isn’t a word in the English language for the fireworks that go off in your brain when you finally kiss someone you’ve wanted for years. Or for the intimacy and tenderness you feel as you hold the hand of a suffering friend.

A generation after the height of the AIDS crisis, what is it like to be a young gay man in New York? How many words are there now for the different kinds of pain, the different kinds of love

Everybody’s Talking about Jamie by Tom MacRae

Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield.
Jamie doesn’t quite fit in.
Jamie is terrified about the future.
Jamie is going to be a sensation.
Supported by his brilliant, loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies, and steps out of the darkness into the spotlight.
Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true

Maurice by E.M. Forster

Maurice is heartbroken over unrequited love, which opened his heart and mind to his own sexual identity. In order to be true to himself, he goes against the grain of society’s often unspoken rules of class, wealth, and politics.

The Collected Poems of A.E. Housman

Housman’s melodic and memorable poems have been popular for over a century. He writes typically of lost love, of the brevity of happiness, of young soldiers doomed to die. Admirers have found his work elegant and resonant; detractors have thought much of it mannered and glib. But Housman speaks with two voices: the smooth texts conceal a dark sub-text. This tormented and secretive man wrote poems alive with indirect self-disclosure

Comics & Graphic Novels

Seven Days by by Venio Tachibana and Rihito Takarai

It is rumored that Touji Seryou, one of the more popular boys at school, would go out with anyone who asks him out on a Monday morning. But on this particular Monday morning, the first person he meets at the school gate is no other than Yuzuru Shino, Seryou’s senpai at the archery club. On a whim, and well-aware of Seryou’s reputation, Shino asks Seryou to go out with him. Thinking that it will be treated as a joke, they’re both guys after all, imagine Shino’s surprise when Seryou takes him up on the offer! There is a catch, though. While Seryou does go out with the first girl who asks him out on a Monday morning, the other side of the coin is – by the end of the week, he will break up with that person. In essence, Seryou is a lover with a one-week expiration date. But will Shino prove to be the exception to that rule?

Bloom by Kevin Panetta

Now that high school is over, Ari is dying to move to the big city with his ultra-hip band—if he can just persuade his dad to let him quit his job at their struggling family bakery. Though he loved working there as a kid, Ari cannot fathom a life wasting away over rising dough and hot ovens. But while interviewing candidates for his replacement, Ari meets Hector, an easygoing guy who loves baking as much as Ari wants to escape it. As they become closer over batches of bread, love is ready to bloom . . . that is, if Ari doesn’t ruin everything.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more…?

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Vol. 1 by Yuhki Kamatani

Not only is high schooler Tasuku Kaname the new kid in town, he is also terrified that he has been outed as gay. Just as he’s contemplating doing the unthinkable, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people dealing with problems not so different from his own. In this realistic, heartfelt depiction of LGBT+ characters from different backgrounds finding their place in the world, a search for inner peace proves to be the most universal experience of all

Middle-Grade

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. (Heck, he’d settle for *seeing* a Broadway show.) But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York. There’s an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical, and Nate knows this could be the difference between small-town blues and big-time stardom.

Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz

Best friends Stephen and Marco know a thing or two about impossible missions. It’s thanks to them that cell phone thieves at school are apprehended, lost puppies are returned, and gym uniforms are lent out to the forgetful thirteen-year-old masses.

A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner

A heartfelt and relatable novel from Phil Bildner, weaving the real history of Los Angeles Dodger and Oakland Athletic Glenn Burke–the first professional baseball player to come out as gay–into the story of a middle-school kid learning to be himself.

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

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