Where There is Love, There is Life: LGBTQ YA Reads
June is Pride Month! A time to celebrate, to reflect, and read some romance. These young adult novels embrace stories of queer joy as friends, rivals, co-workers, and teammates find love.
Cheer Up!: Love and Pompoms
by Crystal Frasier
Annie is a smart, antisocial lesbian who's under pressure to join the cheerleader squad to round out her college applications. Her former friend BeeBee is a people-pleaser; a trans girl who must keep her parents happy to keep their support of her transition. Despite the rigors of squad training and amped-up social pressures discover there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.
The Avant Guards Volume One
by Carly Usdin
Former sports star Charlie is struggling to find her classes, her dorm, and her place amongst a student body full of artists who seem to know exactly where they're going. When the school's barely-a-basketball-team unexpectedly attempts to recruit her, Charlie's adamant that she's left that life behind...until she's won over by the charming team captain, Liv.
Check Please!
by Ngozi Ukazu
A former junior figure skating champion and dedicated vlogger lands on his co-ed college hockey team, where he is challenged to overcome his fear of getting hit at the same time he falls desperately in love with his captain.
Heavy Vinyl
by Carly Usdin
Starting her dream job at a local vinyl store, Chris is stunned to discover that her coworkers are all part of an underground fighting club that takes on the patriarchy and fights crime.
She Drives Me Crazy
by Kelly Quindlen
Getting into a fender-bender with a beautiful rival after an embarrassing loss to her ex, a talented basketball athlete reluctantly agrees to a carpool arrangement before an opportunity for revenge leads to an unlikely relationship.
You Know Me Well
by Nina LaCour and David Levithan
Mark and Kate sit next to each other in school but are barely acquainted until they meet at a San Francisco club during Pride Week and connect over each one's forbidden love.
May the Best Man Win
by ZR Ellor Jeremy Harkiss, cheer captain and student body president, won't let coming out as a transgender boy ruin his senior year. Instead of bowing to the bigots and outdated school administration, Jeremy decides to make some noise—and how better than by challenging his all-star ex-boyfriend, Lukas for the title of Homecoming King?
Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun
by Jonny Garza Villa
With the one person who understands him fifteen hundred miles away, Jules must face his fears about coming out alone, which accidentally propels him into the life he's always dreamed of.
Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.