LGBTQ+ Books 2021
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston: August moved to New York City to prove to herself that fairy tale endings do not exist. But on the subway on her way to her first day of school, she’s quickly proven wrong when she meets Jane. Soon she realizes her new subway crush is literally displaced from the 1970s, stuck in a timeslip with no memory of her past. This time-bending queer romance is as big-hearted as it gets. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo: Set in the Roaring Twenties, this Great Gatsby retelling follows Jordan Baker, an adopted Asian woman who has to work twice as hard to get what she wants. She’s a queer professional golfer raised in wealth and seen at every extravagant party, but on top of invitations to the secluded speakeasies and intoxicating Gatsby gatherings, golf meets and working to prove her worth, she’s still always seen as “other,” and that’s something of which she’s well aware. Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon: Oliver Park lives with his affectionate partner, Nathan. But after visiting Haus, a gay bathhouse, without Nathan knowing, and following a man into a private room, everything starts to go wrong. As the lies begin to unravel, he’ll work to save more than just his relationship—but his life as well. Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So: From refugee children planning to create new paths for themselves to a queer couple inspiring the creation of a new app. Afterparties is a composition of short stories of Cambodian-Americans that explores the complexities of sexuality, family, friendship and race. Kate in Waitingby Becky Albertalli: Best friends Kate and Anderson are rarely separated, making big-time life decisions together and even pining for the same guys from afar. But when one of their most recent crushes, Matt Olsson, shows up at their school, Kate and Anderson realize they both have feelings for him. Will it put their long-term friendship at risk? Future Feeling by Joss Lake: Penfield R. Henderson spends his life as a dog walker, obsessing over holograms of Aiden Chase, a social media influencer and fellow trans man who posts of his transition on Instagram. After an uncomfortable encounter between the two, Pen convinces his roommates to put a hex on Aiden and curse him to the Shadowlands. But the hex transports a young trans man named Blithe instead, which means Pen and Aiden must work together to bring him back. Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee: Transgender teen Noah thinks he’s a romance expert, running a blog about trans romance happily-ever-afters that’s loved by his many viewers. But when it’s revealed that all of his stories are made up, he tries to prove its authenticity by fake dating Drew, slowly falling for him and realizing that love is nothing like the fantasies he’s created. The Guncle by Steven Rowley: Patrick, a previously famous gay sitcom star, has discovered that parenting, even temporary parenting, is not as simple as he thought. After his sister-in-law dies and his brother checks himself into rehab, his niece and nephew are placed in Patrick’s care for the time being. His current lifestyle isn’t suited for children, especially as he recovers from losing his love and his career. But he’ll start to take on a new form of responsibility, accepting the importance of family, especially when tragedy strikes. The Key to You and Me by Jaye Robin Brown: Piper spends the summer living with her grandmother, taking the opportunity to train with a former Olympic horseback rider and recover from a brutal breakup with her longtime girlfriend. Much to her disliking, her grandmother takes this opportunity to help Piper overcome a fear of driving, hiring Kat, a girl from a small North Carolina town in unchartered territory with her new crush. Over the course of a couple of weeks, the two girls will form a bond beyond driving instructor and pupil. Love & Other Natural Disasters by Misa Sugiura: When Nozomi travels to San Francisco, she’s determined to find the summer romance of her dreams. She meets Willow, a devastated girl who just broke up with her girlfriend, and who convinces Nozomi to fake date her to make her ex jealous. But when lies start to pile up, disaster begins. The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott: After Emily’s mother loses her battle to cancer, it seems as if her luck has run out; she and her boyfriend break up, her best friend is away for the summer, and her father decides to sell their old house as well as most of her mother’s belongings. Everything seems bleak until she meets new-to-town Blake. When Emily finds her mother’s senior year bucket list, the two embark on a summer journey filled with self-discovery, love and overcoming grief. Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez: A young 19-year-old raised a Jehovah’s Witness seeks a fresh start in London as he grapples with his racial and sexual identities. Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June: Jay Collier grew up in his small, rural town as the only out gay kid, watching his friends’ relationships and hookups from the sidelines. Then he begins to form his Gay Agenda, a to-do list of all of the firsts and experiences that he wants to achieve in life. When his family moves to Seattle during his senior year of high school, Jay is finally surrounded by an LGBTQIA+ community and starts to check off goals, but things aren’t going according to plan. Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor: This collection of short stories explores intimacy, pain, identity and tension with those you love, by the author of Real Life. The stories interlink with the life of a man who navigates his relationship with two dancers. Perspectives switch between this man, the dancers, a woman battling cancer, tension between teenagers and more. Hot Stew by Fiona Mozley: The Soho that Tabitha and Precious work in and call home is currently under threat as billionaire-owner Agatha wants to tear the buildings down to build new and expensive flats and restaurants. Men who visit the brothel will be forced to go elsewhere and the people who live in the basement will have to find a new home. But Tabitha and Precious decide they’re not leaving without a fight. Next, check out the 15 best LGBTQ romance movies of all time, ranked.
