Young Adult Books for Pride Month That You Can Enjoy Year-Round

If you’re looking for a few LGBTQ reads that aren’t Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda or Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe, look no further! Here are some brand new books with LGBTQ stories that will spark your imagination, make you laugh, make you cry, and will ultimately deliver the reading experience you’re looking for.

Love and Other Natural Disasters by Misa Sugiura is a take on the always-fun “fake dating” trope. Protagonist Nozomi Nagai meets glamorous Willow, who enlists Nozomi’s help to make her ex-girlfriend jealous. What Willow doesn’t know is that Nozomi is determined to prove herself the perfect girlfriend!

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales is told from the perspective of Darcy Phillips, a bisexual girl who gives anonymous love advice to her classmates. But when she’s hired by local hottie Alexander Brougham to help get his ex-girlfriend back in exchange for keeping her dating advice business a secret, will all go as planned?

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass is a horror-dark academia novel pitched as Get Out meets Danielle Vega. Jake Livingston is having trouble fitting in at St. Clair prep, especially being one of the only Black kids and overshadowed by his brother. To make things more difficult, Jake can see the dead! When Jake meets the vengeful ghost Sawyer, high school becomes even more difficult — perhaps even haunting.

Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson takes place at the fictional Farmland Music and Arts Festival, where protagonist Olivia is determined to shake off her last rocky breakup with her best friend. Toni, Olivia’s best friend, is reeling from the loss of her musician father and hopes that returning to the festival that kick-started his career will help her life as well. Together, they navigate love, grief, and music.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas follows young Yadriel, a brujo (witch) whose family is struggling to accept his gender identity. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a true member of his magical Latinx family by summoning the ghost of his deceased cousin … and accidentally summons the ghost of a cute and grumpy local bad boy instead. Chaos, magic, and mystery ensue!