So it’s that time of year (thank you, Anna & the Apocalypse, for making me sing that every time I say it now) and I thought I’d take a brief second and highlight some current–and future–#LGBTQIA YA books that make for great #ValentinesDay reads. None of these are by me (those are set for future publication!) but I only wish I had half the talent of these folks. So without further ado…
5 Books To Make Your Valentine
Check, Please! Book 1
It’s honestly sinful how utterly enjoyable Ngozi Ukazu‘s YA graphic novel is. Bitty’s freshman and sophomore adventures in hockey, baking, friendship and more comprise this collection of the first half of the popular webcomic. Like the confections Bitty is addicted to baking, this OGN is sweet and full of calamities large and small–and with true to life male friendships at the forefront, it’s an honest –if optimistic–look at contemporary life that you’ll want to eat up with a spoon.
What If It’s Us
This outing by Becky Albertalli (Simon vs. The HomoSapien Agenda, Leah On the Offbeat) and Adam Silvera (They Both Die at the End, History is All You Left Me) is not just a love story that seems more real than not–it’s worldbuilding at its finest. Every character is complex and has their own arcs throughout the tale of two very different guys who meet at the post office, and battle fate and their own choices to carve out their own happy ending.
When The Moon Was Ours
Anna-Marie McLemore‘s gorgeous YA novel still haunts my dreams 8 months after I read the story of Miel and Sam and the love and secrets that bind them. The lyrical prose McLemore uses to describe their relationship transforms what would’ve been a beyond the ordinary modern fairy tale into something more–a new myth for our time when we need them more than ever.
Bloom
One Second Press is really impressing me with the quality of their LGBTQIA YA graphic novels–a niche I didn’t know I desperately needed filled until they started. This OGN by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau is all about baking and teen love, and finding yourself amidst the expectations you and those who love you build around you. In that sense, it reminds me a bit of One Man Guy (another title, I heartily recommend). The art here is simply stunning, from the simple lines to the colorist who honestly ought to be up for an award or two.
The Music of What Happens
This book isn’t out yet, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t immediately put it on your TBR pile. Konigsberg has made a career of writing excellent LGBTQIA YA fiction, and this one promises to subvert a lot of tropes and tell a different type of love story all centered around a food truck and the two boys who rally to save it–and maybe themselves.
I hope you check out at least 1 of these great titles. If you do, leave me a comment here about what you thought about them. Did I miss a recent book you feel ought to live in this firmament? Don’t beef, drop a comment and I’ll add it to my TBR. I hope your week is awesome, and full of words that entertain, comfort, and move you!
latenightstirfry 