Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackson
The Last Beginning by Lauren James
The Unintentional Time Traveler by Everett Maroon
A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith
Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes
Tag Archives: Lauren James
Fave Five: LGBTQ Time Travel Fiction
A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith
The Last Beginning by Lauren James
The Unintentional Time Traveler by Everett Maroon
A Knight to Remember by Bridget Essex
Time Was by Ian McDonald
Bonus: For a novella series, check out Alice Payne by Kate Heartfield!
Good News Roundup of LGBTQ Reads, 2018 Edition
After so many years of LGBTQIAP+ lit struggling for recognition, it’s been pretty killer to watch literary news this year, and to watch it get more mainstream multimedia recognition than ever. And since I think at any given time, we could all use some good news about the progress of LGBTQIAP+ books in publishing, here’s to highlighting some (but not even all!) of this year’s biggest successes in mainstream media:
Picture Books
Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love was named one of Amazon’s best Children’s Books of the year for ages 3-5 and one of the Best Children’s Books of 2018 by New York Public Library, Time, and School Library Journal, as well as a Notable Children’s Book by The New York Times
Middle Grade
Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender was named one of Booklist‘s Top 10 First Novels for Youth: 2018, a Malka Penn Award Honor Book, and a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal
Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake was a recommended title for the 2019 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children and was named one of the Best Children’s Books of 2018 by New York Public Library and Chicago Public Library, and a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal and NPR
Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell was named one of the Best Children’s Books of 2018 by New York Public Library and a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal
Young Adult
*Graphic novels listed separately below
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour was awarded the Printz
The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller won The Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book
Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert won the Stonewall Award
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee received a Stonewall Honor and made the 2018 Top Ten Best Fiction list by YALSA
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal
Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron was a finalist for the Carnegie Medal and was named among the Best YA of 2018 for Feeding Imaginations by Kirkus
Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp hit the New York Times bestseller list and was named a Best YA of 2018 by Seventeen
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli hit the New York Times bestseller list, was named Best Young Adult Fiction by Goodreads voters, and was named among the Best YA Romances of 2018 by Kirkus
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee hit the New York Times bestseller list and was named among the Best Historical YA of 2018 by Kirkus
What If It’s Us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera was optioned for film, hit the New York Times bestseller list, and was named a Best YA of 2018 by Seventeen, Amazon, Bustle, Paste, B&N Teen Blog, and New York Public Library, and a Best Audiobook of 2018 by Audible
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan hit the New York Times bestseller list and was named to the Kids’ Indie Next List Top Ten for Winter 2018-19
Sadie by Courtney Summers hit the New York Times bestseller list and was named a Publishers Weekly Best YA of 2018, one of Booklist’s 10 Best YAs of 2018 for Adults, a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal and NPR, a Best Teen Fiction of 2018 by Chicago Public Library, a Best YA Mystery and Thriller of 2018 by Kirkus, a Best Audiobook of 2018 by Google Play, and a Best YA of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog, Paste, Amazon, and The Boston Globe
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland hit the New York Times bestseller list and was named a Best YA of 2018 by Seventeen, Amazon, School Library Journal, New York Public Library, B&N Teen Blog, and one of Booklist‘s 10 Best YAs of 2018 for Adults, as well as the Best YA of the Year by Paste
Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram was a finalist for the Morris Award and named a Publishers Weekly Best YA of 2018, a Best YA of 2018 by The Boston Globe, New York Public Library, Time, Amazon, and B&N Teen Blog, and among the Best YA Books of 2018 that Explore on Family and Self by Kirkus
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli released as a feature film called Love, Simon
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth released as a feature film
Black Wings Beating by Alex London was named a Best YA of 2018 by Seventeen and Paste and a Best YA Fantasy of 2018 by Kirkus
People Like Us by Dana Mele was named a Best YA of 2018 by Seventeen
The Beauty that Remains by Ashley Woodfolk was named a Best YA of 2018 by Seventeen and Bustle, and the Best YA Debut of 2018 by Paste
Ship It by Britta Lundin was named a Best YA of 2018 by Seventeen
Camryn Garrett, author of 2019’s Full Disclosure, was named one of Teen Vogue‘s 21 Under 21 Class of 2018
Pulp by Robin Talley was named to the Kids’ Indie Next List Top Ten for Winter 2018-19 and included among the Best Teen Fiction of 2018 by Chicago Public Library and the Best YAs of 2018 by Paste
The Disasters by MK England was named to the Kids’ Indie Next List Top Ten for Winter 2018-19
Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon was named to the Kids’ Indie Next List for Winter 2018-19
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan was named to the Kids’ Indie Next List for Winter 2018-19
This is What it Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow was named to the Kids’ Indie Next List for Winter 2018-19
Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore was named one of Tor.com Reviewers’ Best Books of 2018, a Best YA Fantasy of 2018 by Kirkus, a Best YA of 2018 by The Boston Globe, and a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal
Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman was named one of Booklist’s 10 Best YAs of 2018 for Adults, among the Best YA Books of 2018 About Speaking Your Truth by Kirkus, and a Best YA of 2018 by New York Public Library, B&N Teen Blog, and Paste
Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner was named a Best YA of 2018 by New York Public Library
Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert was named a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal and among the Best Teen Fiction of 2018 by Chicago Public Library, Best YA Books of 2018 that Explore Family and Self by Kirkus, and Best YAs of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog
A Room Away From the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma was named a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal and NPR and a Best YA of 2018 by Bustle and Paste
Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake was named among the Best Teen Fiction of 2018 by Chicago Public Library and Best YAs of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson was named among the Best Teen Fiction of 2018 by Chicago Public Library and a Best YA of 2018 by The Boston Globe
Odd One Out by Nic Stone was named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR and among the Best YAs of 2018 by The Boston Globe and Paste
The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in LA) by Amy Spalding was named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR, a Best YA Romance of 2018 by Kirkus, and among the Best YAs of 2018 by The Boston Globe and Paste
The Spy With the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by Paste and B&N Teen Blog and among the Best Jewish Children’s Books of 2018 by Tablet
A Blade so Black by L.L. McKinney was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by Paste
Home and Away by Candice Montgomery was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog and Paste and among the Best YA Mysteries and Thrillers of 2018 by Kirkus
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by Paste
For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by Paste
Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog and Paste and among the Best YA Books of 2018 About Speaking Your Truth by Kirkus
Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by The Boston Globe and Paste
This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kheryn Callender was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by Bustle and B&N Teen Blog and a Best YA Romance of 2018 by Kirkus
Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by Bustle
Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog
Final Draft by Riley Redgate was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog and the Best YA Romances of 2018 by Kirkus
Running With Lions by Julian Winters was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog
The Brilliant Death by Amy Rose Capetta was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog and a Best YA Romance of 2018 by Kirkus
Jack of Hearts (and other parts) was named among the Best YAs of 2018 by B&N Teen Blog
Unbroken ed. by Marieke Nijkamp was named among the Best YAs of 2018 that Feed Imaginations by Kirkus
Fire Song by Adam Garnet Jones was named among the Best YA Books of 2018 that Explore on Family and Self by Kirkus
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia is a Junior Library Guild selection
Romance
Rend by Roan Parrish was named a Best Romance of the Year by Amazon
Time Was by Ian McDonald was named a Best Book of 2018 by New York Public Library
When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri was named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR
Contemporary and Historical Adult Fiction
Less by Andrew Sean Greer won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
John Rechy received the 2017 Robert Kirsch Award
White Houses by Amy Bloom was named a Best Book of 2018 by New York Public Library
Who is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht was named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR
The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara was named one of the Best Debuts of 2018 by Entertainment Weekly
Sugar Run by Mesha Maren was named to the January 2019 Indie Next List
SFF
Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly was nominated for a Nebula Award for Best Novel
The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang was nominated for a Nebula Award for Best Novella
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey was nominated for a a Nebula Award for Best Novella
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado was a finalist for the Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado is being developed into an FX series
The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez is being developed into a TV series
Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller was named a Publishers Weekly Best SF/Fantasy/Horror of 2018 and a Kirkus Best Sci Fi and Fantasy of 2018
Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg was named a Best Historical Fiction of 2018 , a Best Debut Fiction of 2018 by Kirkus, and among “10 More Great Debuts” by Entertainment Weekly, a supplement to their list of the 10 Best Debuts of the 2018
The Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard was named one of Tor.com Reviewers’ Best Books of 2018
The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson was named one of Tor.com Reviewers’ Best Books of 2018
Vengeful by V.E. Schwab was named Best Science Fiction by Goodreads voters
Nonfiction
Garrard Conley’s memoir, Boy Erased, was released as a feature film and hit the New York Times bestseller list
I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya was named among the Best YA Books of 2018 About Speaking Your Truth by Kirkus
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee was named a Best Book by TIME, Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Wired, Esquire, Buzzfeed, New York Public Library, The A.V. Club, Book Riot, PopSugar, The Rumpus, My Republica, Paste, Bitch,Library Journal,Bustle, Christian Science Monitor,Shelf Awareness, Tor.com, Chicago Public Library, Entropy Magazine,The Chicago Review of Books, The Coil, iBooks, and Washington Independent Review of Books, and was longlisted for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay
Poetry
Not Here by Hieu Minh Nguyen was named one of the Best Books of 2018 by New York Public Library
Graphic Novels
Bingo Love by Tee Franklin was named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR
My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii, was named among the Best YA Books of 2018 that Explore on Family and Self by Kirkus
Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu was a finalist for the Morris Award and named one of Booklist’s 10 Best YAs of 2018 for Adults, a Best YA of 2018 by New York Public Library and The Boston Globe, and among the Best YA Books of 2018 that Explore on Family and Self by Kirkus
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang was named a Best YA of 2018 by Publishers Weekly, Amazon, New York Public Library, School Library Journal, NPR, and The Boston Globe
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden was named a Publishers Weekly Best YA of 2018 and a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal
For lists of the best queer books of 2018, check out these on BookRiot and Autostraddle!
Books I’d Recommend to My LGBT Main Character: a Guest Post by Lauren James
In my novel The Last Beginning, the main character Clove is going through a lot. She gets rejected after kissing her best friend Meg in the same week that she finds out she’s adopted. She relies on a sassy artificial intelligence called Spart for emotional support – and a girl from the future called Ella keeps interfering with her life and telling Clove that she’s her girlfriend. She’s having a pretty hard time of it, so I thought I’d recommend some books to help her chill out a little bit.
Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
More than anything, Clove just needs to relax. This sweet and cute lesbian rom-com, set in sunny Hollywood, will help her forget all her worries. For a little while, at least!
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Clove’s future girlfriend Ella is a Classics major, and as Clove is more into computer science, she doesn’t know much about Greek myths. This retelling of Achilles and Patroclus’ love story will give her a starter in all things Classical, to help her keep up with Ella.
Clove’s adoptive parents, Tom and Jen, are both scientists working on building the world’s first time machine. Clove has been listening to their discussions about time travel since she was a little girl, so she would feel right at home reading this gay love story set in a world where time can stop and start at will.
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
In this book, Thaniel falls in love with Keita, a Japanese watchmaker with clairvoyant powers. Just like Ella, Keita has knowledge of his future relationship with Thaniel. I think this book would help Clove deal with the crazy frustrations of dating someone who thinks they know more about you than you do.
Knit One, Girl Two by Shira Glassman
Clove knits while she’s waiting for code to compile, and to calm her nerves. She also woos Ella by giving her a green scarf she makes – so this lesbian love story about girls meeting over yarn would be perfect for them both!
In Radio Silence, British teenagers Frances and Aled are facing a breakdown of everything they thought they knew about themselves and what they wanted from life. Clove goes through something similar in The Last Beginning, so she would definitely relate.
Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson
Ella is from the future, so she and Clove face the prospect of a long-distance relationship across several centuries. She would probably like this novel about the internet relationship between two girls, told through their messages and emails, just like the conversations between Clove and Ella.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
When Clove travels back in time to 1745, she feels the need to hide her sexuality, because she knows people will react badly if they found out she liked girls. In her time of 2054, sexuality isn’t an issue, and she proudly wears a rainbow wristband given to her by her dad Tom. She would probably find it comforting to read this historical novel about boys on a grand tour of Europe, which shows that there is a place for LGBT characters throughout history.
When Clove kisses her best friend Meg and gets rejected, she feels like her life is over. She doesn’t think their friendship will ever survive Clove’s advances. She would love this graphic novel series about a group of freshman girls at a British university, whose tight knit friendship group constantly faces the strain of fighting over romance, school and sexuality – and survives.
Clove would love all of these books, although she’s probably too busy to read them during The Last Beginning. I would apologise, but giving my characters tough things to deal with is one of the best parts of being a writer.
***
Lauren James is the author of Young Adult science fiction, including The Next Together series and The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. The Last Beginning was published by Sky Pony Press in March. You can find her on Twitter at @Lauren_E_James, Tumblr at @laurenjames or her website http://www.laurenejames.co.uk, where you can subscribe to her newsletter to be kept up to date with her new releases and receive bonus content.
New Releases: February 2018
All We Can Do Is Wait by Richard Lawson (6th)
In the hours after a bridge collapse rocks their city, a group of Boston teenagers meet in the waiting room of Massachusetts General Hospital:
Siblings Jason and Alexa have already experienced enough grief for a lifetime, so in this moment of confusion and despair, Alexa hopes that she can look to her brother for support. But a secret Jason has been keeping from his sister threatens to tear the siblings apart…right when they need each other most.
Scott is waiting to hear about his girlfriend, Aimee, who was on a bus with her theater group when the bridge went down. Their relationship has been rocky, but Scott knows that if he can just see Aimee one more time, if she can just make it through this ordeal and he can tell her he loves her, everything will be all right.
And then there’s Skyler, whose sister Kate—the sister who is more like a mother, the sister who is basically Skyler’s everything—was crossing the bridge when it collapsed. As the minutes tick by without a word from the hospital staff, Skyler is left to wonder how she can possibly move through life without the one person who makes her feel strong when she’s at her weakest.
In his riveting, achingly beautiful debut, Richard Lawson guides readers through an emotional and life-changing night as these teens are forced to face the reality of their pasts…and the prospect of very different futures.
The Last To Let Go by Amber Smith (6th)
How do you let go of something you’ve never had?
Junior year for Brooke Winters is supposed to be about change. She’s transferring schools, starting fresh, and making plans for college so she can finally leave her hometown, her family, and her past behind.
But all of her dreams are shattered one hot summer afternoon when her mother is arrested for killing Brooke’s abusive father. No one really knows what happened that day, if it was premeditated or self-defense, whether it was right or wrong. And now Brooke and her siblings are on their own.
In a year of firsts—the first year without parents, first love, first heartbreak, and her first taste of freedom—Brooke must confront the shadow of her family’s violence and dysfunction, as she struggles to embrace her identity, finds her true place in the world, and learns how to let go.
Buy it: B&N * Amazon * iBooks * IndieBound
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson (6th)
Sixteen-year-old Elena Mendoza is the product of a virgin birth.
This can be scientifically explained (it’s called parthenogenesis), but what can’t be explained is how Elena is able to heal Freddie, the girl she’s had a crush on for years, from a gunshot wound in a Starbucks parking lot. Or why the boy who shot Freddie, David Combs, disappeared from the same parking lot minutes later after getting sucked up into the clouds. What also can’t be explained are the talking girl on the front of a tampon box, or the reasons that David Combs shot Freddie in the first place.
As more unbelievable things occur, and Elena continues to perform miracles, the only remaining explanation is the least logical of all—that the world is actually coming to an end, and Elena is possibly the only one who can do something about it.
Fire on the Ice by Tamsen Parker (6th)
Blaze Bellamy is the bad girl of the short track speed skating world. Looking like a roller derby bruiser when she’s not in her Team USA uniform, she’s an unlikely American heroine. She’s got a punk attitude to match her provocative dress and her dyed hair, and she’s determined to get onto the front pages of the papers regardless of how she has to do it.
Maisy Harper is the workhorse of the Canadian women’s figure skating team. Serious, modest, and above all, polite, Maisy would prefer to win her victory on the ice rather than in the press, and is exasperated by Blaze’s antics. When she’s not lusting after her anyway. After they both failed to make the medal podium at the last Snow and Ice Games, they drowned themselves in gin—and each other.
Despite their hookup being drunken, they both harbor fond memories of their night together and are keen for a repeat. But they’ve got different ways of going about getting what they want, and Blaze’s willingness to go to any lengths for the spotlight could ruin any chance she has with Maisy.
Buy it: Amazon
The Last Beginning by Lauren James (13th)
The epic conclusion to Lauren James’s debut The Next Together about true love and reincarnation.
Sixteen years ago, after a scandal that rocked the world, teenagers Katherine and Matthew vanished without a trace. Now Clove Sutcliffe is determined to find her long lost relatives.
But where do you start looking for a couple who seem to have been reincarnated at every key moment in history? Who were Kate and Matt? Why were they born again and again? And who is the mysterious Ella, who keeps appearing at every turn in Clove’s investigation?
For Clove, there is a mystery to solve in the past and a love to find in the future, and failure could cost the world everything.
Snowsisters by Tom Wilinsky and Jen Sternick (15th)
High school students—Soph, who attends private school in Manhattan, and Tess, a public school student who lives on a dairy farm in New Hampshire—are thrown together as roommates at a week-long writing conference. As they get to know each other and the other young women, both Soph and Tess discover unexpected truths and about friendship, their craft, and how to hold fast to their convictions while opening their hearts to love.
Hold Fast by Kris Ripper (20th)
Zack Scherzo likes his notebooks. And his pens. And, okay, he really loves to organize stuff. He’s organized his whole life into the ideal trajectory for his ten year plan, at which point his career will be solid and he’ll be ready for a husband and family. Everything makes perfect sense.
Until he meets Isaiah.
Driven entrepreneur Isaiah Carlin generally doesn’t get involved with lost causes, like the climbing gym Zack’s trying to keep afloat. But there’s something about the gym—and there’s definitely something about Zack—that intrigues him. He wants to help. He also wants to see what happens when Zack shakes loose some of his rules and allows himself to feel.
When passion collides with Zack’s regimented life path, something’s gotta give. And it looks like that thing is going to be Isaiah, unless he can convince Zack that sometimes real life is even better than the best laid plans.
Buy it: Amazon
One True Way by Shannon Hitchcock (27th)
Welcome to Daniel Boone Middle School in the 1970s, where teachers and coaches must hide who they are, and girls who like girls are forced to question their own choices. Presented in the voice of a premier storyteller, One True Way sheds exquisite light on what it means to be different, while at the same time being wholly true to oneself. Through the lives and influences of two girls, readers come to see that love is love is love. Set against the backdrop of history and politics that surrounded gay rights in the 1970s South, this novel is a thoughtful, eye-opening, look at tolerance, acceptance, and change, and will widen the hearts of all readers.
People Like Us by Dana Mele (27th)
Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she’s reinvented herself entirely. Now she’s a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl’s body is found in the lake, Kay’s carefully constructed life begins to topple.
The dead girl has left Kay a computer-coded scavenger hunt, which, as it unravels, begins to implicate suspect after suspect, until Kay herself is in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. But if Kay’s finally backed into a corner, she’ll do what it takes to survive. Because at Bates Academy, the truth is something you make…not something that happened.
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages ed. by Saundra Mitchell (27th)
Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.
From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.
LGBTQA MG/YA in Translation
One major access problem with LGBTQIAP+ books is that so many of them are published in English and never translated into anything else. To that end, here are great books that are (or will be; some of these are forthcoming) available in other languages. (Of course, most of these books have different titles in other languages; I’ve chosen the easiest method for myself by posting the titles in English here. If you need assistance with finding the title in its native language, please feel free to contact me or comment below.)
Please note that links were taken from a combination of Amazon and author websites, so while they may not be the right link for your location, the point is to see that the translation exists so it can be a starting point for you tracking it down. I also recognize that languages can vary by territory, and that, for example, sometimes rights are specifically purchased for Brazil and the book is not available in Portugal; I did the best I could to note such instances but feel free to leave notes/corrections in the comments.
(Caveat: I have not read any of these translations, and cannot speak to whether the queer storylines have been modified, as unfortunately certain countries are particularly wont to do.)
US = a link to that edition on American Amazon, via affiliate link, or on BN.com
This will be a regularly updated resource, so if you are an author whose book has been internationally translated, please get in touch or comment below to have your book added! (Or make any corrections as needed.)
Bosnian and Montenegran
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Catalan
- George by Alex Gino
- You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour
Chinese
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (Complex)
- George by Alex Gino (Complex)
- Every Day by David Levithan (Simplified)
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (Simplified)
Czech
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- The Last Beginning by Lauren James
Danish
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- George by Alex Gino
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
- They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Dutch
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- George by Alex Gino
- Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
- They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Estonian
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Finnish
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
French
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
- The Rules of Ever After by Killian Brewer
- George by Alex Gino
- Seven Tears at High Tide by C.B. Lee
- Every Day by David Levithan
- The Star Host by F.T. Lukens
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
- If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
- They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
- Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
Georgian
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
German
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- George by Alex Gino
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
- You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour
- This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
- Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson
- The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson
- The Last Beginning by Lauren James
- Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig
- If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
- Far From You by Tess Sharpe
Hungarian
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Indonesian
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (Spring/Haru)
Hebrew
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Icelandic
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Italian
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green
- Every Day by David Levithan
- Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
- If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Japanese
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- George by Alex Gino
Korean
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- George by Alex Gino
Norwegian
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Polish
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (US)
- Alan Cole is Not a Coward by Eric Bell
- This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
Portuguese
(Most of these links go to amazon.br)
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
- One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
- George by Alex Gino
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
- The Last Beginning by Lauren James (Brazil)
- Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
- Openly Straight by Bill Konigsburg
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Brazil)
- Every Day by David Levithan
- Hold Me Closer by David Levithan (Brazil)
- You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour
- We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
- Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters
- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
- If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
- Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (US)
- Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
- Beast by Brie Spangler
- Anything Could Happen by Will Walton
- Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley
- And I Darken by Kiersten White
Romanian
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
- Every Day and Another Day by David Levithan
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
- And I Darken by Kiersten White
Serbian
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Slovakian
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Spanish
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
- George by Alex Gino
- Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
- We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
- You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour
- Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (US)
- The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee (Latin America)
- People Like Us by Dana Mele (Spain)
- Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- Release by Patrick Ness
- This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (US)
- Anything Could Happen by Will Walton (US)
Swedish
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour
Taiwanese
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- George by Alex Gino
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Thai
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
- Every Day by David Levithan
Turkish
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
- The Last Beginning by Lauren James
- Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
- We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
- People Like Us by Dana Mele
- This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
- They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Ukrainian
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Vietnamese
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- George by Alex Gino
- We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
- Every Day and Another Day by David Levithan
Around the Blogosqueer: Lauren James of LGBT YA
Welcome to the very first Around the Blogosqueer guest post! In this series, you’ll learn a little more about the other sites and features on the internet that are dedicated to LGBTQIAP+ lit via guest posts by the fabulous folk who run them! I’m so excited to have Lauren James here to kick it off and tell us a little more about her review site, LGBT YA!
LGBT YA is a tumblr review blog run by author Lauren James, where she reviews LGBT+ YA titles, with occasional guest posts from authors and bloggers, and reblogs LGBT+ YA related content.
I started the blog when I was writing my own LGBT YA novel, The Last Beginning (out in October!). I was looking for YA books to read which also featured lesbian characters, and I realised there was no resource available with reviews of titles – all I could find was a few defunct blogs and scattered Goodreads lists.
As I’d binge-read about 30 LBGT YA titles, I decided to start my own. I focus mainly on books which aren’t Coming Out stories – while Coming Out stories are important, I feel like that’s been done very well already. As someone past that point in my life, I want to read about what LGBT characters do after they’ve come out – because that’s the start of your life, not the end.
I also tend to focus more on SFF to Contemporary, and more lesbian/bisexual titles than otherwise, as that’s where my personal taste lies. Luckily, guest bloggers fill in the gaps!
I would love to see:
- More SFF books with LGBT characters like The Abyss Surrounds Us (*cough* and The Last Beginning *cough*)
- More LGBT YA where sexuality isn’t the main focus
- Books with whole casts of LGBT characters, instead of just the protagonist and the love interest. We tend to flock together!
- More explicit LGBT YA sex scenes (I wrote about why that’s important here).
- I also have an embarrassingly small selection of asexual books reviewed – I would love more of those.
- More #ownvoices books – especially trans books by trans writers. I’m really looking forward to reading If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo.
Actually, my wishlist is endless!
Some of my favourite LGBT YA books are:
- Everything Leads To You – Nina La Cour
- I’ll Give You The Sun – Jandy Nelson
- The Art Of Being Normal – Lisa Williamson
- Grasshopper Jungle – Andrew Smith
- A Hero At The End Of The World – Erin Claiborne
- Clariel – Garth Nix
- Lies We Tell Ourselves – Robin Talley
More can be found in my five star ratings section on the blog.
I’m always looking for guest bloggers – if you’re interested, you can email me at ya.lgbt@gmail.com!
Lauren James sold the rights to her first novel The Next Together, a Young Adult science fiction romance, when she was 21. It was published in September by Walker Books in the UK and Australia. Rights have sold in over six territories worldwide, including the USA. It was described by The Bookseller as ‘funny, romantic and compulsively readable’. She is an Arts Council grant recipient, and is longlisted for the 2016 Branford Boase Award. She is now 23, and lives in the West Midlands. You can find her on Twitter at @Lauren_E_James or her website http://www.laurenejames.co.uk.