So many wonderful books came out in 2020, and we love them for it! Here are our top books that offer LGBTQIA+ representation as well as refreshing takes on many genres.
Loveless by Alice Oseman
Alice Osemans fourth novel is a wittily written story of identity, discovery, and self-acceptance. Loveless follows university student, Georgia, as she learns about asexuality, what it means to love, and most importantly what it means to her.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Award-winning author, Kacen Callender, brings us Felix Love- a black, queer, transgender boy- and his honest journey of self-discovery and love. In this heart warming novel, Felix must deal with hate, a minor love triangle, and navigating his own complicated feelings, as he learns not only to love but to recognize the love he deserves.
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigrdar
The beautiful rom-com of Nishat, tells the story of a Muslim girl who wants to come out to her parents as a lesbian, and Flávia, her childhood friend turned rival, as both girls create henna businesses for a school competition. Emotions get tangled and the stress grows as Nishat can’t seem to get rid of her crush on Flávia, and Flávia’s own feelings only add to the complications.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Yadriel is a transgender boy determine to prove himself to his Latinx family and gain their acceptance. To do so, he performs a ritual and ends up summoning the ghost of Julian Diaz, the resident bad boy who has no plans to go into death quietly. They must work together to get what they want but, the more time they spend together, the less Yadriel wants Julian to leave.
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
A fresh take on the classic fairy tale follows sixteen-year-old Sophia, who is much more interested in marrying her childhood best friend than a random suitor, as she flees from the Annual Ball. Together with Constance, the last known descendent of Cinderella, and her stepsisters, the group vows to take down the king and the traditions once and for all, discovering the truth about the original story.
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
When seventeen-year-old Cal and his family move from Brooklyn to Houston for his father’s upcoming mission with NASA, the social media loving teen finds himself head over heels with the mysterious Leon. As their connection grows, secrets about the space mission are uncovered and Cal must find a way to reveal the truth without hurting those he loves.
ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE BY GEORGE M. JOHNSON
Unlike other books on this list, All Boys Aren’t Blue is a series of personal essays by journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson. He explores topics of gender identity, family, toxic masculinity, structural marginalization, and more, in this memoir that tells the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of Black queer boys.
The Fascinators by Andrew Eliopulos
This novel brings to life the very real truth about sexuality and religion, filled with friendship, first love, and feeling out of place, with a fun twist of magic. High school senior, Sam, falls for his friend and fellow magic club member, James. As their group of friends finds themselves being torn about by the frowned upon magic that brought them together, Sam’s hopes for the year are derailed.
The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass by Adan Jerreat-Poole
Eli is a teenage girl created by witches to hunt down ghosts in the human world. She’s a trained assassin but when an assignment goes wrong Eli gets caught up in questions and with a group of renegades. Eli must earn her freedom and learn things about herself, and redefine what she’s been told her whole life along the way.
The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig
Vampires? An ancient power returning to the earth? You guessed it! And, August Pfeiffer is in the middle of it. Not only is he the only one who can stop the terrible force that’s coming, but there’s a cryptic and annoyingly hot vampire boy to help him solve the mystery.
