Definitely, Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed
Idlewild by Jude Sierra
Perfect Pairing by Rachel Spangler
Certainly, Possibly, You by Lissa Reed
Taste by Kris Bryant
Definitely, Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed
Idlewild by Jude Sierra
Perfect Pairing by Rachel Spangler
Certainly, Possibly, You by Lissa Reed
Taste by Kris Bryant
Peter Darling (February 15)
Author: Austin Chant
Genre/Category: Romance
Rainbow details: Queer Trans guy MC
Why put it on your radar? PETER PAN WAS ASSIGNED WENDY DARLING AT BIRTH AND NOW HE’S AN ADULT TRANS GUY WHO’S INTO CAPTAIN HOOK. THEY DO NOT MAKE CAPS LOCK BIG ENOUGH FOR THE EXCELLENCE OF THAT PREMISE.
Noteworthy (May 2)
Author: Riley Redgate
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: Bi MC
Why put it on your radar? Because Riley Redgate already brought the awesome in 2016 with Seven Ways We Lie, which had pan and ace MCs, and she’s back with a bi MC of color who crossdresses for personal gain with care never to invalidate transness.
Cottonmouths (June 6)
Author: Kelly J. Ford
Genre/Category: Adult Contemporary
Rainbow details: Lesbian MC
Why put it on your radar? Queer girl living in a small town in the Ozarks? Childhood crush returns…and has a meth lab? Comparisons to Daniel Woodrell and Sarah Waters? Take your pick!
Ramona Blue (May 9)
Author: Julie Murphy
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: Lesbian MC
Why put it on your radar? Because while we often get books with MCs who ID as straight and find they have an exception to the rule that starts them questioning, only to maintain a hetero identity, we almost never see the opposite with a character who questions but maintains a queer identity.
Island of Exiles (February 7)
Author: Erica Cameron
Genre/Category: YA Fantasy
Rainbow details: Bi MC
Why put it on your radar? Since we revealed the cover, Erica can answer that for you here!
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo (TN)
Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (GA)
Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen (LA)
Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown (GA)
Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy (MS)
A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith
As I Descended by Robin Talley
Trust Me, I’m Trouble by Mary Elizabeth Summer
Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace
Assassins: Discord by Erica Cameron
This is one of my favorite posts (courtesy of Jamie of Perpetual Page Turner) to do on my personal blog, and I thought it’d be fun to bring it here, using just the LGBTQIAP+ books I’ve read this year, and hear what your answers would be in the comments! (Note: a few of these answers on my personal blog were LGBTQIAP+ books anyway, so those have been copy-pasted here.) So, let’s see how this goes:
2016 Reading Stats
YA Fantasy: And I Darken by Kiersten White
YA Contemporary: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
YA Thriller: Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig
YA Sci-Fi: The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie
NA Romance: Hold Me by Courtney Milan
Adult Romance: Strong Signal by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell
Pretty much any book I expected/hoped would have better representation than it does.
Best surprises are the ones that had queer POVs in books I definitely did not expect to see them in, and wouldn’t necessarily have read this year (if ever) if bloggers didn’t push me to! So: Cherry by Lindsey Rosin, Winning by Lara Deloza, and This Song is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin.
I asked Twitter, and apparently it’s between Cherry by Lindsey Rosin, The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie, and This Song is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin!
Series Started: Five Boroughs by Santino Hassell and Cyberlove by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell. I’m much worse about reading YA series than I am about Romance series, but I’m super excited to read the sequels to And I Darken by Kiersten White (i.e. Now I Rise), Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee (i.e. Not Your Villain), and The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie (i.e. The Edge of the Abyss).
Sequel: The Shadow Hour by Melissa Grey
Series Ender: Pretty sure Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo’s the only one I read with any queer POVs!
Santino Hassell – picked up one book, continued to read four more of his throughout the year.
The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie! I know that conceptually that book is so many people’s dream, but it’s not my usual thing and I found it totally unputdownable. And Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee – not usually a superhero-book reader but this was so much fun, and I’m so psyched it’s gonna be a continuing series.
Apparently The Abyss Surrounds Us!
Uhhhh definitely at least the opening of Sutphin Boulevard by Santino Hassell. I don’t get much time to reread, but.
Perfect Ten by L. Philips, which is fun since that was revealed here!
Juliet from Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera.
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore. Honestly, in any given year she writes a book, that book’s gonna be the answer.
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera.
How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by JC Lillis. That’s one of my favorite LGBTQIAP YAs of all time now and people were talking about its greatness for SO LONG, but I was slow to it for no good reason.
To the boys who get called girls,
the girls who get called boys,
and those who live outside these words.
To those called names
and those searching for names of their own.
To those who live on the edges,
and in the spaces in between.
I wish for you every light in the sky.
~the dedication of When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
Under Threat by Robin Stevenson (144 pp)
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (536 pp)
A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith, both because of how scarily compelling I found it and because it’s kinda dark and terrifying.
Oof, this is tough. I think maybe Kai and Garrett from Strong Signal? I am bad at choosing these.
Frances and Aled in Radio Silence by Alice Oseman.
Published in 2016: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown
Coming in 2017: History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
But it feels like a lie not to mention Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake, coming in 2018
How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by JC Lillis, which thank God Becky Albertalli finally got me to read. Should also mentioned that I would never have picked up This Song is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin if not for Rachel G. telling me it had an ace MC.
I am not good at this. Can I pass?
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo and Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig.
I mean, Leigh Bardugo’s pretty unbeatable here, right? Although definite shoutout to Zoraida Cordova’s Labyrinth Lost.
Published pre-2016: How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by JC Lillis
Published in 2016: Cherry by Lindsey Rosin
Coming post-2016: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (June 20, 2017)
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour. It didn’t even happen immediately, but as the book sank in, I just completely lost it.
I feel like in LGBTQIAP+ lit almost everything is a hidden gem because they rarely get decent marketing budgets, but I have such a soft spot for Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate, for quietly delivering both (explicit) pan and (implicit) ace rep in a mainstream YA. While both of those words pop up a bunch in 2017 YA, 7WWL was the only mainstream 2016 YA I saw to contain either one. (And yes, it’s also a good book!)
This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp.
For sheer standout beauty, When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore.
A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith, which is definitely by design and which I utterly loved.
Queer Lit on my Mind, which isn’t exactly a book blog but it’s a (now-) friend’s Tumblr I think posts great reviews.
I’m actually a terrible reviewer, and since I keep needing to remind people this isn’t a review site, I’m going to abstain from this question so I don’t send the wrong message!
Not that I can take any credit for it, personally, but gotta go with Casey Lawrence’s “Goodbye, Bad Bi“!
Only did one LGBTQ panel this year – with Adam Silvera, Jenn Marie Thorne, and Kenneth Logan – but it was great! Also attended a good one featuring Rebecca Podos, Kenneth Logan, Cordelia Jensen, and I.W. Gregorio.
Kicking off this site, I’d say!
Thank you to guest-posting author Casey Lawrence, whose “Goodbye, Bad Bi” was by far the most popular post on the site this year.
I did hope more people would share the post of Trans Lit Under $5 – most of those books are #ownvoices titles that could definitely use some love!
The LA all-Romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice is amazing, and so great for queer romance. And I’m not just saying that because they made Out on Good Behavior their book club pick one month, but I’m also not not saying that? Because choosing an f/f NA for book club is pretty damn awesome.
Finally launching this site! (And my personal Goodreads challenge of reading 175 books.)
So Sweet by Rebekah Weatherspoon – I’ve been saving that series for myself forever!
Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert. I freaking loved Pointe and this character is bi and Jewish, so, no-brainer! But absolutely highly anticipating Noteworthy by Riley Redgate and Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee, both of which sound super clever and fun, and by authors I’m really curious to see more from as well. Redgate did something really fantastic for YA by bringing it its first mainstream on-the-page pansexual character, and Tash reportedly contains fantastic on-the-page ace rep, so, lots to look forward to!
It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura, hands-down.
Series Ending: The Savage Dawn by Melissa Grey
Sequel: The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie (which is also a series ending)
Companion: YA: Not Your Villain by CB Lee; Romance: Hard Wired by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell
Actually have a new “Better Know an Author” up every month. (And yes, I have ones scheduled for January and February!)
There are actually a lot of these, which is delightful! How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake, Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley, and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee are three I loved, blurbed, and definitely recommend. History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera is fantastic, Perfect Ten by L. Philips and Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde are so delightful, We Are Okay by Nina LaCour is beautiful and emotional and makes you scared to love anyone but also so grateful that you do, and…I could probably go on forever, so I’ll shut up, but you’ll see plenty more in discussion soon!
That’s my year! How was yours?
Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
Under Threat by Robin Stevenson
Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward
You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan
Winning by Lara Deloza
Bonus: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown and Without Annette by Jane B. Mason both feature lesbian MCs who are out but then have to go back in for their new schools
We Are Okay (February 14)
Author: Nina LaCour
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: lesbian MC, major bi secondary
Why put it on your radar? Because everything Nina LaCour touches turns to gold and this isn’t remotely an exception. I cried like a freaking baby after reading this one.
Wanted: A Gentleman (January 9)
Author: KJ Charles
Genre/Category: Historical Romance
Rainbow details: Gay MC
Why put it on your radar? Let’s be real: if you’re into queer historical romance at all, anything by KJ Charles is already on your radar.
A Good Idea (February 28)
Author: Cristina Moracho
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: Bi MC
Why put it on your radar? Those looking for more queer YA in which sexuality/coming out aren’t “issues” will find a perfect match in this twisty noir about friendship and betrayal
Perfect Ten (June 6)
Author: L. Philips
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: Gay MC
Why put it on your radar? Because it’s cute as helllll but also does a really nice job capturing why monogamy can feel especially difficult for queer kids who suddenly have options for the first time in their lives
Meg & Linus (April 18)
Author: Hanna Nowinski
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: Gay MC, Lesbian MC
Why put it on your radar? Gay and lesbian MCs who are BFFs? Two main characters who are already out? Relatively low angst? Nerds? Come on.
Whatever. by S.J. Goslee
Been Here All Along by Sandy Hall
Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian
Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate
Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsburg
Bonus: Though not narrating, there are bi guy love interests in History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera and All the Feels by Danika Stone
For those of you who feel like you’ve already read every LGBTQIAP+ book in existence, not to worry – there’s plenty still to come! Every TBRainbow Alert will have a mix of five LGBTQIAP+ titles to make sure are on your radar, along with why I think they should be on your radar. If you missed the earlier alerts, you can check out those titles here. And now, because I can’t wait to get these books on your reading lists, check out some of what awaits in 2017!
Radio Silence (March 28)*
Author: Alice Oseman
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: bi MC, major demi secondary
Why put it on your radar?
Just gonna repost my entire GR review here: Okay I totally see why people are in love with this book – I definitely know people for whom reading this would feel like coming home, and I hope everyone for whom that’s true finds it. If you’re afraid to be yourself, to show your weird; if finding a friend with whom you really click is so rare for you that you feel legit terror at the idea of losing it; if you’re still working out your sexuality (or lack thereof); if you’re a fan of Welcome to Night Vale… Anyway, read it. (Plus, on-page bi MC and also the first YA in which I’ve ever seen the word demisexual.)
*This is the US release date. It originally released in the UK in 2016.
Finding Your Feet (January 16)
Author: Cass Lennox
Genre/Category: Contemporary Romance
Rainbow details: ace female/trans male
Why put it on your radar?
I haven’t read any of the books in this series yet, but they’re so full of underrepresented characters, I’m just hoping to love them all, and hoping lots of people who haven’t been able to find themselves in books yet can find themselves in these!
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (June 20)
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Genre/Category: Historical YA
Rainbow details: Bi MC and LI
Why put it on your radar?
This book is so. Much. Fun. If you follow Mackenzi Lee on Twitter (or have at least seen her #BygoneBadassBroads series) you know how awesomely fun she can make history, and how she makes characters from eras you might think stodgy come to life.
Queens of Geek (March 14)
Author: Jen Wilde
Genre/Category: Contemporary YA
Rainbow details: Bi MC, lesbian LI
Why put it on your radar?
This is a super freaking cute fandom book with two best friends narrating, providing one f/f romance and one cishet romance. It’s also got lovely autism rep, and is full of encouraging messages. This one particularly stuck out to me as being a good choice for reluctant readers.
Dreadnought (January 24)
Author: April Daniels
Genre/Category: Sci-Fi YA
Rainbow details: Trans MC
Why put it on your radar?
TRANS SUPERHERO BOOK. We good here? Yeah, I thought so.
A Hundred Thousand Words by Nyrae Dawn
Certainly, Possibly, You by Lissa Reed
Out of Frame by Megan Erickson
F*ths by G.L. Thomas
Hold Me by Courtney Milan
Bonus: Non-Contemp NAs: Vampire Sorority Sisters series by Rebekah Weatherspoon (Paranormal) and To Terminator, With Love by Wes Kennedy (Sci-Fi)