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by Jeannie Lin
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance historical china princess martial arts 288 pages
During the Tang dynasty, Princess Ai Li flees before her wedding and travels far from home, with only her delicate butterfly swords for defense.
by Jeannie Lin
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance historical china princess martial arts 288 pages
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by Aiden Thomas
MoreScore: 5 non-white trans male non-straight romance adventure magic mexican american ghosts 320 pages
When his traditional family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his best friend Maritza, he performs a ritual and summons a ghost to help him solve the murder of their cousin. The ghost, Julian Diaz, has other plans. Julian and Yadriel agree to work together to both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
by Aiden Thomas
MoreScore: 5 non-white trans male non-straight romance adventure magic mexican american ghosts 320 pages
When his traditional family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his best friend Maritza, he performs a ritual and summons a ghost to help him solve the murder of their cousin. The ghost, Julian Diaz, has other plans. Julian and Yadriel agree to work together to both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
by David Levithan
MoreScore: 5 undisclosed non-binary non-straight romance magical realism Consciousness Transfer Gender Identity 304 pages Lexile: HL650L
A teen wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life. Every day a different body, a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. "A" has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live. Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon.
by David Levithan
MoreScore: 5 undisclosed non-binary non-straight romance magical realism Consciousness Transfer Gender Identity 304 pages Lexile: HL650L
A teen wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life. Every day a different body, a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. "A" has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live. Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon.
by Sara Farizan
Lambda Literary Award MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance realistic Iran Lesbians Teenagers 256 pages Lexile: HL670L
Seventeen-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since they were six. They’ve shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is a dangerous place for two girls in love--Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten, imprisoned, even executed. So they carry on in secret until Nasrin’s parents suddenly announce that they’ve arranged for her marriage.
by Sara Farizan
Lambda Literary Award MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance realistic Iran Lesbians Teenagers 256 pages Lexile: HL670L
Seventeen-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since they were six. They’ve shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is a dangerous place for two girls in love--Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten, imprisoned, even executed. So they carry on in secret until Nasrin’s parents suddenly announce that they’ve arranged for her marriage.
by Robin Talley
MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance historical virgina school integration racism 416 pages Lexile: HL630L
Set in 1959 Virginia, Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes despite her obvious talent. Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept "separate but equal." Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and the fact that they may be falling for one another.
by Robin Talley
MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance historical virgina school integration racism 416 pages Lexile: HL630L
Set in 1959 Virginia, Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes despite her obvious talent. Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept "separate but equal." Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and the fact that they may be falling for one another.
by Malinda Lo
MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance thriller Massachusetts Chinese American Murder 288 pages
Jess Wong is Angie Redmond’s best friend. And that’s the most important thing, even if Angie can’t see how Jess truly feels. Being the girl no one quite notices is OK with Jess anyway. If nobody notices her, she’s free to watch everyone else. But when Angie begins to fall for Margot Adams, a girl from the nearby boarding school, Jess can see it coming a mile away. Suddenly her powers of observation are more a curse than a gift. As Angie drags Jess further into Margot’s circle, Jess discovers more than her friend’s growing crush. Secrets and cruelty lie just beneath the carefree surface of this world of wealth and privilege, and when they come out, Jess knows Angie won’t be able to handle the consequences. When the inevitable darkness finally descends, Angie will need her best friend.
by Malinda Lo
MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance thriller Massachusetts Chinese American Murder 288 pages
Jess Wong is Angie Redmond’s best friend. And that’s the most important thing, even if Angie can’t see how Jess truly feels. Being the girl no one quite notices is OK with Jess anyway. If nobody notices her, she’s free to watch everyone else. But when Angie begins to fall for Margot Adams, a girl from the nearby boarding school, Jess can see it coming a mile away. Suddenly her powers of observation are more a curse than a gift. As Angie drags Jess further into Margot’s circle, Jess discovers more than her friend’s growing crush. Secrets and cruelty lie just beneath the carefree surface of this world of wealth and privilege, and when they come out, Jess knows Angie won’t be able to handle the consequences. When the inevitable darkness finally descends, Angie will need her best friend.
by Nina Revoyr
MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance coming-of-age Los Angeles Basketball Lesbians 365 pages
From the day she meets Raina Webber, Nancy Takahiro knows that the dazzling All-State shooting guard is the one basketball player who can match her on the court. But, she is not prepared for the pain and desire that leaves her awkward and shy in Raina's presence. When Nancy's father and Raina's mother fall in love and decide to move in together, Nancy is even more unsettled. Now she's living under the same roof as her inspiration and rival, and under the scrutiny of friends and neighbors to her Japanese-American and African-American household.
by Nina Revoyr
MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance coming-of-age Los Angeles Basketball Lesbians 365 pages
From the day she meets Raina Webber, Nancy Takahiro knows that the dazzling All-State shooting guard is the one basketball player who can match her on the court. But, she is not prepared for the pain and desire that leaves her awkward and shy in Raina's presence. When Nancy's father and Raina's mother fall in love and decide to move in together, Nancy is even more unsettled. Now she's living under the same roof as her inspiration and rival, and under the scrutiny of friends and neighbors to her Japanese-American and African-American household.
by David Leavitt
Featured Book Stonwall Award MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance war Lisbon, Portugal Jewish World War II 272 pages
It is the summer of 1940, early in World War II, and Lisbon, Portugal is the only neutral port left in Europe. It's filled with spies, crowned heads, and refugees of every nationality, drinking to while away the time until their escape. Enter two couples Pete and Julia Winters, Americans fleeing Paris; and Edward and Iris Freleng, wealthy, bohemian, and beset by the anxieties of their class.
by David Leavitt
Featured Book Stonwall Award MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance war Lisbon, Portugal Jewish World War II 272 pages
It is the summer of 1940, early in World War II, and Lisbon, Portugal is the only neutral port left in Europe. It's filled with spies, crowned heads, and refugees of every nationality, drinking to while away the time until their escape. Enter two couples Pete and Julia Winters, Americans fleeing Paris; and Edward and Iris Freleng, wealthy, bohemian, and beset by the anxieties of their class.
by Chinelo Okparanta
Lambda Literary Award MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance coming-of-age Nigeria Lesbians Civil War 320 pages
Ijeoma comes of age as her nation does. Born before independence, she is eleven when civil war breaks out in the young republic of Nigeria. Sent away to safety, she meets another displaced child and they, star-crossed, fall in love. They are from different ethnic communities. They are also both girls. But when their love is discovered, Ijeoma learns that she will have to hide this part of herself—and there is a cost to living inside a lie.
by Chinelo Okparanta
Lambda Literary Award MoreScore: 5 non-white cis-female non-straight romance coming-of-age Nigeria Lesbians Civil War 320 pages
Ijeoma comes of age as her nation does. Born before independence, she is eleven when civil war breaks out in the young republic of Nigeria. Sent away to safety, she meets another displaced child and they, star-crossed, fall in love. They are from different ethnic communities. They are also both girls. But when their love is discovered, Ijeoma learns that she will have to hide this part of herself—and there is a cost to living inside a lie.
by Anna M. McLemore
Featured Book Stonwall Award MoreScore: 5 non-white trans-male non-straight romance magical realism family 288 pages Lexile: 920L
To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town.
by Anna M. McLemore
Featured Book Stonwall Award MoreScore: 5 non-white trans-male non-straight romance magical realism family 288 pages Lexile: 920L
To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town.
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Lambda Literary Award Stonwall Award MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance realistic mexican-american homosexuality families 368 pages Lexile: HL380L
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Lambda Literary Award Stonwall Award MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance realistic mexican-american homosexuality families 368 pages Lexile: HL380L
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
by Sandip Roy
MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance realistic Immigration Indian-American Gay Sons 256 pages
In a boxy apartment building in an Illinois university town, Romola Mitra, a newly arrived young bride, anxiously awaits her first letter from home in India. When she accidentally opens the wrong letter, it changes her life. Decades letter, her son Amit finds the same letter and thinks he has discovered his mother's secret over. But secrets have their own secrets sometimes.
by Sandip Roy
MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance realistic Immigration Indian-American Gay Sons 256 pages
In a boxy apartment building in an Illinois university town, Romola Mitra, a newly arrived young bride, anxiously awaits her first letter from home in India. When she accidentally opens the wrong letter, it changes her life. Decades letter, her son Amit finds the same letter and thinks he has discovered his mother's secret over. But secrets have their own secrets sometimes.
by Pene Henson
Lambda Literary Award MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance Hawaii Surfing Gay Men 236 pages
Tai Talagi and Ollie Birkstrom have been inseparable since they met as kids surfing the North Shore of Oahu. Now they live with their best friends and Ollie's kid brother in a pulled-together family, all of them piled into a run-down beach house. They share cooking, bills, and the saltwater running in their veins. Tai's spent years shutting down any feelings for Ollie. They are friends. Their family depends on them. But with Ollie off on his first world tour and his dreams of a pro surfing career finally within reach, their steady world shifts. Is the relationship worth risking their friendship, their family, their dreams, for a chance at something beautiful?
by Pene Henson
Lambda Literary Award MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance Hawaii Surfing Gay Men 236 pages
Tai Talagi and Ollie Birkstrom have been inseparable since they met as kids surfing the North Shore of Oahu. Now they live with their best friends and Ollie's kid brother in a pulled-together family, all of them piled into a run-down beach house. They share cooking, bills, and the saltwater running in their veins. Tai's spent years shutting down any feelings for Ollie. They are friends. Their family depends on them. But with Ollie off on his first world tour and his dreams of a pro surfing career finally within reach, their steady world shifts. Is the relationship worth risking their friendship, their family, their dreams, for a chance at something beautiful?
by Adam Silvera
MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance science fiction new york homosexuality memory 304 pages Lexile: 850L
In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again—but he's still gunning for it. When Aaron meets this new guy, Thomas, Aaron's girlfriend Genevieve notices the happiness Thomas brings Aaron. Aaron considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to literally straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting himself.
by Adam Silvera
MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance science fiction new york homosexuality memory 304 pages Lexile: 850L
In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again—but he's still gunning for it. When Aaron meets this new guy, Thomas, Aaron's girlfriend Genevieve notices the happiness Thomas brings Aaron. Aaron considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to literally straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting himself.
by Adam Silvera
MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance science fiction New York Hispanic Americans 384 pages Lexile: 870L
On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.
by Adam Silvera
MoreScore: 4 non-white cis-male non-straight romance science fiction New York Hispanic Americans 384 pages Lexile: 870L
On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.
by Talia Hibbert
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis female straight romance humor hospitality industry plus-sized autism spectrum 400 pages
Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong. So she's given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself--even though she's not entirely sure how. Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner's on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell.
by Talia Hibbert
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis female straight romance humor hospitality industry plus-sized autism spectrum 400 pages
Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong. So she's given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself--even though she's not entirely sure how. Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner's on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell.
by Manu Herbstein
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic Ghana Social Mobility Economics 141 pages
Akosua Annan is a confident and fiercely intelligent student at a posh girls’ school in Cape Coast, Ghana. There she comes under the influence of a charismatic feminist teacher. Osman Said’s background is very different. Upon the death of his parents, immigrants to the capital, he is adopted by a retired school teacher, Hajia Zainab. There, finding the teaching inadequate, he becomes an avid reader and educates himself. Akosua and Osman are thrown together by chance in the course of a school visit to the slave dungeon at Cape Coast Castle.
by Manu Herbstein
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic Ghana Social Mobility Economics 141 pages
Akosua Annan is a confident and fiercely intelligent student at a posh girls’ school in Cape Coast, Ghana. There she comes under the influence of a charismatic feminist teacher. Osman Said’s background is very different. Upon the death of his parents, immigrants to the capital, he is adopted by a retired school teacher, Hajia Zainab. There, finding the teaching inadequate, he becomes an avid reader and educates himself. Akosua and Osman are thrown together by chance in the course of a school visit to the slave dungeon at Cape Coast Castle.
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Featured Book MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic nigeria england refugee 496 pages
Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time.
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Featured Book MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic nigeria england refugee 496 pages
Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time.
by Jenny Lee
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis female straight romance realistic new york city korean american affluence 480 pages
Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way. At seventeen, Anna K is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society, even if she prefers the company of her horses and dogs. She has the perfect, perfectly boring, boyfriend: Alexander W. She has always made her Korean-American father proud. A brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy's love story, Anna Karenina — but above all, it's about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.
by Jenny Lee
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis female straight romance realistic new york city korean american affluence 480 pages
Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way. At seventeen, Anna K is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society, even if she prefers the company of her horses and dogs. She has the perfect, perfectly boring, boyfriend: Alexander W. She has always made her Korean-American father proud. A brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy's love story, Anna Karenina — but above all, it's about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.
by Jenny Lee
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis female straight romance realistic south korea korean american affluence 304 pages
Anna K, at the beginning of the summer, goes with her father to the other side of the world from New York City, to connect with his family in South Korea and hide her away from her disgrace. Is Anna in exile? Or could this be her chance to figure out who she really is? Meanwhile, in Manhattan, everything between Kimmie and her new boyfriend, Dustin, is easy—except when it comes to finally having sex. And Bea escapes to LA and a beautiful stranger steals her heart. Is Bea ready to finally forgive Anna, and let herself truly fall in love for the very first time?
by Jenny Lee
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis female straight romance realistic south korea korean american affluence 304 pages
Anna K, at the beginning of the summer, goes with her father to the other side of the world from New York City, to connect with his family in South Korea and hide her away from her disgrace. Is Anna in exile? Or could this be her chance to figure out who she really is? Meanwhile, in Manhattan, everything between Kimmie and her new boyfriend, Dustin, is easy—except when it comes to finally having sex. And Bea escapes to LA and a beautiful stranger steals her heart. Is Bea ready to finally forgive Anna, and let herself truly fall in love for the very first time?
by David Levithan
MoreScore: 3 undisclosed cis-male non-straight romance coming-of-age high school homosexuality positivity 240 pages Lexile: 730L
In a high school where the homecoming queen is the star quarterback who has transitioned and is now known as Infinite Darlene and the gay-straight alliance helps the straight kids learn how to dance, Paul meets Noah. Paul thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.
by David Levithan
MoreScore: 3 undisclosed cis-male non-straight romance coming-of-age high school homosexuality positivity 240 pages Lexile: 730L
In a high school where the homecoming queen is the star quarterback who has transitioned and is now known as Infinite Darlene and the gay-straight alliance helps the straight kids learn how to dance, Paul meets Noah. Paul thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.
by Tess Sharpe
MoreScore: 3 white cis-female non-straight romance detective Lesbians Addiction Recovery Disability 352 pages
Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice. The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick. The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky.
by Tess Sharpe
MoreScore: 3 white cis-female non-straight romance detective Lesbians Addiction Recovery Disability 352 pages
Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice. The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick. The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky.
by Zoe Whittall
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 3 white trans-male non-straight romance realistic Toronto, Ontario Anxiety Disorders Millennials 301 pages
An unusual love triangle forms between Billie, a former teen idol and now an anxiety-ridden agoraphobic; Josh, a shy transgendered paramedic who travels the city patching up damaged bodies; and Amy, a fashionable filmmaker coping with her first broken heart.
by Zoe Whittall
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 3 white trans-male non-straight romance realistic Toronto, Ontario Anxiety Disorders Millennials 301 pages
An unusual love triangle forms between Billie, a former teen idol and now an anxiety-ridden agoraphobic; Josh, a shy transgendered paramedic who travels the city patching up damaged bodies; and Amy, a fashionable filmmaker coping with her first broken heart.
by Maurene Goo
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic korean-american 336 pages Lexile: HL690L
Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That's how she became student body president. Varsity soccer star. And it's how she'll get into Stanford. But she's never had a boyfriend. In fact, she's a disaster at romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. To win the heart of her love, she turn to Korean soap operas. It's a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Until the boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue.
by Maurene Goo
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic korean-american 336 pages Lexile: HL690L
Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That's how she became student body president. Varsity soccer star. And it's how she'll get into Stanford. But she's never had a boyfriend. In fact, she's a disaster at romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. To win the heart of her love, she turn to Korean soap operas. It's a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Until the boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue.
by Michael Sledge
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 3 white cis-female non-straight romance historical Brazil Poetry Lesbians 320 pages
An intimate portrait of the beloved poet Elizabeth Bishop — of her life in Brazil and her relationship with her lover, the dazzling, aristocratic Lota de Macedo Soares. A fictional imagining of Bishop’s intensely private world, revealing the literary genius who lived in conflict with herself both as a writer and as a woman.
by Michael Sledge
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 3 white cis-female non-straight romance historical Brazil Poetry Lesbians 320 pages
An intimate portrait of the beloved poet Elizabeth Bishop — of her life in Brazil and her relationship with her lover, the dazzling, aristocratic Lota de Macedo Soares. A fictional imagining of Bishop’s intensely private world, revealing the literary genius who lived in conflict with herself both as a writer and as a woman.
by Jo Walton
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 3 white cis-female non-straight romance science fiction Memory Lesbians Motherhood 320 pages
It's 2015, and Patricia Cowan is very old. She forgets things she should know, but she remembers things that don't seem possible. She remembers marrying Mark and having four children. She remembers not marrying Mark and raising three children with Bee instead. She remembers the bomb that killed President Kennedy in 1963. She remembers Kennedy in 1964, declining to run again after the nuclear exchange that took out Miami and Kiev. Her childhood memories are solid things. But after that, did she marry Mark or not? Had she been a housewife who escaped a terrible marriage, or a successful travel writer with homes in Britain and Italy?
by Jo Walton
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 3 white cis-female non-straight romance science fiction Memory Lesbians Motherhood 320 pages
It's 2015, and Patricia Cowan is very old. She forgets things she should know, but she remembers things that don't seem possible. She remembers marrying Mark and having four children. She remembers not marrying Mark and raising three children with Bee instead. She remembers the bomb that killed President Kennedy in 1963. She remembers Kennedy in 1964, declining to run again after the nuclear exchange that took out Miami and Kiev. Her childhood memories are solid things. But after that, did she marry Mark or not? Had she been a housewife who escaped a terrible marriage, or a successful travel writer with homes in Britain and Italy?
by Ashley Hope Pérez
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance historical New London, Texas Mexican Americans School Bombing 408 pages Lexile: HL660L
"This is East Texas, and there's lines. Lines you cross, lines you don't cross. That clear?" New London, Texas. 1937. Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller know about the lines in East Texas as well as anyone. They know the signs that mark them. They know the people who enforce them. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.
by Ashley Hope Pérez
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance historical New London, Texas Mexican Americans School Bombing 408 pages Lexile: HL660L
"This is East Texas, and there's lines. Lines you cross, lines you don't cross. That clear?" New London, Texas. 1937. Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller know about the lines in East Texas as well as anyone. They know the signs that mark them. They know the people who enforce them. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.
by Nicola Yoon
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic korean-americans jamaican-americans immigration 384 pages Lexile: HL650L
I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
by Nicola Yoon
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic korean-americans jamaican-americans immigration 384 pages Lexile: HL650L
I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
by Jenny Han
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic Love Letters Scandals 368 pages Lexile: 630L
What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once? Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
by Jenny Han
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic Love Letters Scandals 368 pages Lexile: 630L
What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once? Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
by Becky Albertalli
MoreScore: 3 white cis-female non-straight romance realistic Lesbians Children of Gay Parents Overweight Teens 352 pages Lexile: HL490L
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess.
by Becky Albertalli
MoreScore: 3 white cis-female non-straight romance realistic Lesbians Children of Gay Parents Overweight Teens 352 pages Lexile: HL490L
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess.
by Anna Marie McLemore
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance magical realism Traveling Circuses Vendettas Magic 320 pages Lexile: HL730L
For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows. Lace Paloma may be new to her family's show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it's a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace's life. His touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus.
by Anna Marie McLemore
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance magical realism Traveling Circuses Vendettas Magic 320 pages Lexile: HL730L
For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows. Lace Paloma may be new to her family's show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it's a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace's life. His touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus.
by Sandhya Menon
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic indian-american 320 pages Lexile: HL700L
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
by Sandhya Menon
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic indian-american 320 pages Lexile: HL700L
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
by Emery Lord
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic Bipolar Disorder 380 pages Lexile: HL730L
Seventeen year old Jonah Daniels has lived in Verona Cove, California, his whole life, and only one thing has ever changed: his father used to be alive, and now he's not. Now Jonah must numbly take care of his family as they reel from their tragedy. Vivi Alexander, moves into town. Vivi is in love with life. A gorgeous and unfiltered hurricane of thoughts and feelings. She seems like she's from another planet as she transforms Jonah's family and changes his life. But there are always consequences when worlds collide.
by Emery Lord
MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic Bipolar Disorder 380 pages Lexile: HL730L
Seventeen year old Jonah Daniels has lived in Verona Cove, California, his whole life, and only one thing has ever changed: his father used to be alive, and now he's not. Now Jonah must numbly take care of his family as they reel from their tragedy. Vivi Alexander, moves into town. Vivi is in love with life. A gorgeous and unfiltered hurricane of thoughts and feelings. She seems like she's from another planet as she transforms Jonah's family and changes his life. But there are always consequences when worlds collide.
by Nadia Hashimi
MEOC Award MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic Kabul, Afghanistan England Refugee 416 pages
Mahmoud's passion for his wife Fereiba, a schoolteacher, is greater than any love she's ever known. But their happy, middle-class world—a life of education, work, and comfort—implodes when their country is engulfed in war, and the Taliban rises to power. Mahmoud, a civil engineer, becomes a target of the new fundamentalist regime and is murdered. Forced to flee Kabul with her three children, Fereiba has one hope to survive: she must find a way to cross Europe and reach her sister's family in England.
by Nadia Hashimi
MEOC Award MoreScore: 3 non-white cis-female straight romance realistic Kabul, Afghanistan England Refugee 416 pages
Mahmoud's passion for his wife Fereiba, a schoolteacher, is greater than any love she's ever known. But their happy, middle-class world—a life of education, work, and comfort—implodes when their country is engulfed in war, and the Taliban rises to power. Mahmoud, a civil engineer, becomes a target of the new fundamentalist regime and is murdered. Forced to flee Kabul with her three children, Fereiba has one hope to survive: she must find a way to cross Europe and reach her sister's family in England.
by John Boyne
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance war France World War I Homosexuality 320 pages
September 1919: Twenty-year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver some letters to Marian Bancroft. During the Great War, Tristan fought alongside Marian's brother Will who, in 1917, laid down his gun on the battlefield, declared himself a conscientious objector and was shot as a traitor. Tristan recalls his relationship with Will and the happiness it brought them.
by John Boyne
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance war France World War I Homosexuality 320 pages
September 1919: Twenty-year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver some letters to Marian Bancroft. During the Great War, Tristan fought alongside Marian's brother Will who, in 1917, laid down his gun on the battlefield, declared himself a conscientious objector and was shot as a traitor. Tristan recalls his relationship with Will and the happiness it brought them.
by Lisa Williamson
MoreScore: 2 white trans-female straight romance realistic Gender Transition Transgender Teens 288 pages Lexile: 770L
David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he's gay. The school bully thinks he's a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth: David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal: to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in his class is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy.
by Lisa Williamson
MoreScore: 2 white trans-female straight romance realistic Gender Transition Transgender Teens 288 pages Lexile: 770L
David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he's gay. The school bully thinks he's a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth: David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal: to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in his class is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy.
by Martin Hyatt
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic Louisiana Polyamory Musicians 224 pages
Loner Boz Matthews spends his days working at his grandfather's Louisiana highway diner. His only friends are the Pentecostal preacher's anorexic daughter, Meg, and the ghosts of dead movie stars. But when country music outlaws Catty Mills and Kyle Thomas come to town, Boz's world is turned upside-down, leading to an emotionally turbulent and sexually liberating four-way relationship that challenges small-town beliefs and changes lives forever. Beautiful Gravity is a story of broken dreams and haunted Southern nights--a reminder of what it means to be loved and what it means to be set free.
by Martin Hyatt
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic Louisiana Polyamory Musicians 224 pages
Loner Boz Matthews spends his days working at his grandfather's Louisiana highway diner. His only friends are the Pentecostal preacher's anorexic daughter, Meg, and the ghosts of dead movie stars. But when country music outlaws Catty Mills and Kyle Thomas come to town, Boz's world is turned upside-down, leading to an emotionally turbulent and sexually liberating four-way relationship that challenges small-town beliefs and changes lives forever. Beautiful Gravity is a story of broken dreams and haunted Southern nights--a reminder of what it means to be loved and what it means to be set free.
by Jason Reynolds
Coretta Scott King Award MoreScore: 2 non-white cis-male straight romance realistic New York City African Americans Funeral Homes 255 pages Lexile: HL760L
Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. Crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy stuff than he can imagine.
by Jason Reynolds
Coretta Scott King Award MoreScore: 2 non-white cis-male straight romance realistic New York City African Americans Funeral Homes 255 pages Lexile: HL760L
Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. Crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy stuff than he can imagine.
by Andy Sinclair
MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic toronto homosexuality hedonism 180 pages
Breathing Lessons is the story of Henry Moss, a homosexual everyman whose life knows none of the limitations or abuses his predecessors experienced. He's had supportive family and friends, he's well-liked by the athletes who train with him, trusted in his professional life, parties whenever he pleases, but as he gets older and, increasingly, the men he sleeps with are married, Henry finds that his mother may have been right.
by Andy Sinclair
MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic toronto homosexuality hedonism 180 pages
Breathing Lessons is the story of Henry Moss, a homosexual everyman whose life knows none of the limitations or abuses his predecessors experienced. He's had supportive family and friends, he's well-liked by the athletes who train with him, trusted in his professional life, parties whenever he pleases, but as he gets older and, increasingly, the men he sleeps with are married, Henry finds that his mother may have been right.
by Rachel M. Wilson
MoreScore: 2 undisclosed cis-female straight romance realistic Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Theater 432 pages
Step on a crack, break your mother's back, touch another person's skin, and Dad's gone for good. Caddie has a history of magical thinking — of playing games in her head to cope with her surroundings. When her parents split up, don't touch becomes Caddie's mantra. Maybe if she keeps from touching another person's skin, Dad will come home. Soon, despite Alabama's humidity, she's covering every inch of her skin and wearing evening gloves to school. And that's where things get tricky.
by Rachel M. Wilson
MoreScore: 2 undisclosed cis-female straight romance realistic Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Theater 432 pages
Step on a crack, break your mother's back, touch another person's skin, and Dad's gone for good. Caddie has a history of magical thinking — of playing games in her head to cope with her surroundings. When her parents split up, don't touch becomes Caddie's mantra. Maybe if she keeps from touching another person's skin, Dad will come home. Soon, despite Alabama's humidity, she's covering every inch of her skin and wearing evening gloves to school. And that's where things get tricky.
by Matthew Griffin
MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance historical North Carolina World War II Committed Gay Relationship 272 pages
Hide is a tender, aching story of a hidden life in the recent history of gay love in America. Wendell and Frank meet at the end of World War II, when Frank returns home to their North Carolina town. Soon he's loitering around Wendell's taxidermy shop, and the two come to understand their connection as love-a love that, in this time and place, can hold real danger.
by Matthew Griffin
MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance historical North Carolina World War II Committed Gay Relationship 272 pages
Hide is a tender, aching story of a hidden life in the recent history of gay love in America. Wendell and Frank meet at the end of World War II, when Frank returns home to their North Carolina town. Soon he's loitering around Wendell's taxidermy shop, and the two come to understand their connection as love-a love that, in this time and place, can hold real danger.
by Adam Silvera
MoreScore: 2 pending cis-male non-straight romance realistic California Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Grief 304 pages
When Griffin's first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he's been imagining for himself has gone far off course. To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin's downward spiral continues.
by Adam Silvera
MoreScore: 2 pending cis-male non-straight romance realistic California Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Grief 304 pages
When Griffin's first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he's been imagining for himself has gone far off course. To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin's downward spiral continues.
by Natalie Standiford
MoreScore: 2 white cis-female undisclosed romance realistic death family 288 pages Lexile: HL560L
A touching story of two friends navigating the dark waters of their senior year. New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love.
by Natalie Standiford
MoreScore: 2 white cis-female undisclosed romance realistic death family 288 pages Lexile: HL560L
A touching story of two friends navigating the dark waters of their senior year. New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love.
by Jandy Nelson
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic Artists Secrets Homosexuality 384 pages Lexile: HL740L
At first, Jude and her twin brother are NoahandJude; inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. Years later, they are barely speaking. The early years are Noah’s to tell; the later years are Jude’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their lives.
by Jandy Nelson
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic Artists Secrets Homosexuality 384 pages Lexile: HL740L
At first, Jude and her twin brother are NoahandJude; inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. Years later, they are barely speaking. The early years are Noah’s to tell; the later years are Jude’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their lives.
by Meredith Russo
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white trans-female straight romance realistic Transgender Identity High School 288 pages Lexile: HL770L
Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she’s determined not to get too close to anyone.But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can’t help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she realizes just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself, including her past. But Amanda’s terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won't be able to see past it. Because the secret that Amanda’s been keeping? It's that at her old school, she used to be Andrew.
by Meredith Russo
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white trans-female straight romance realistic Transgender Identity High School 288 pages Lexile: HL770L
Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she’s determined not to get too close to anyone.But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can’t help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she realizes just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself, including her past. But Amanda’s terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won't be able to see past it. Because the secret that Amanda’s been keeping? It's that at her old school, she used to be Andrew.
by Jacqueline Cary
MoreScore: 2 undisclosed cis-female straight romance fantasy women slavery spies 704 pages
Sequel to Kushiel's Chosen. Phèdre has been enjoying a quiet life until a prophetic dream calls upon her to serve her gods one last time. All of Phèdre’s journeys have led here, to the grandest of conclusions in an epic tale of fantasy, adventure, and, above all, love.
by Jacqueline Cary
MoreScore: 2 undisclosed cis-female straight romance fantasy women slavery spies 704 pages
Sequel to Kushiel's Chosen. Phèdre has been enjoying a quiet life until a prophetic dream calls upon her to serve her gods one last time. All of Phèdre’s journeys have led here, to the grandest of conclusions in an epic tale of fantasy, adventure, and, above all, love.
by Jacqueline Cary
MoreScore: 2 undisclosed cis-female straight romance fantasy women slavery spies 704 pages
Sequel to Kushiel's Dart. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. The hands of the gods weigh heavily upon Phèdre's brow, and they are not yet done with their charge--for while the young queen who sits upon the throne is well loved by the people, there are those who believe that other heads should wear the crown. And those who escaped the wrath of the mighty are not yet done with their schemes for power and revenge.
by Jacqueline Cary
MoreScore: 2 undisclosed cis-female straight romance fantasy women slavery spies 704 pages
Sequel to Kushiel's Dart. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. The hands of the gods weigh heavily upon Phèdre's brow, and they are not yet done with their charge--for while the young queen who sits upon the throne is well loved by the people, there are those who believe that other heads should wear the crown. And those who escaped the wrath of the mighty are not yet done with their schemes for power and revenge.
by Jacqueline Cary
MoreScore: 2 undisclosed cis-female straight romance fantasy women slavery spies 704 pages
In a nation born of angels, vast and intricate and surrounded by danger, a woman, born to servitude, is unknowingly given access to the secrets of the realm. Phédre nó Delaunay undertakes a journey to the barbarous northland of Skaldia, accompanied only by a disdainful young warrior-priest she makes a harrowing escape and an even more harrowing journey to return to her people and deliver a warning of the impending invasion.
by Jacqueline Cary
MoreScore: 2 undisclosed cis-female straight romance fantasy women slavery spies 704 pages
In a nation born of angels, vast and intricate and surrounded by danger, a woman, born to servitude, is unknowingly given access to the secrets of the realm. Phédre nó Delaunay undertakes a journey to the barbarous northland of Skaldia, accompanied only by a disdainful young warrior-priest she makes a harrowing escape and an even more harrowing journey to return to her people and deliver a warning of the impending invasion.
by James Klise
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance science fiction High School Dating Drugs 312 pages Lexile: HL660L
Fifteen-year-old Jamie Bates has a simple strategy for surviving high school: fit in, keep a low profile, and above all, don't come out. When a classmate discovers the truth about Jamie's sexuality, Jamie does all he can to change who he is. When Jamie steals an experimental new drug that's supposed to reprogram his sexuality, he thinks he's finally going to permanently different. As the drug's side effects worsen, he realizes lying and using could shatter the fragile world of deception that he's created-and hurt the people closest to him. Told with equal doses of humor and suspense, Love Drugged explores the consequences of a life constructed of lies.
by James Klise
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance science fiction High School Dating Drugs 312 pages Lexile: HL660L
Fifteen-year-old Jamie Bates has a simple strategy for surviving high school: fit in, keep a low profile, and above all, don't come out. When a classmate discovers the truth about Jamie's sexuality, Jamie does all he can to change who he is. When Jamie steals an experimental new drug that's supposed to reprogram his sexuality, he thinks he's finally going to permanently different. As the drug's side effects worsen, he realizes lying and using could shatter the fragile world of deception that he's created-and hurt the people closest to him. Told with equal doses of humor and suspense, Love Drugged explores the consequences of a life constructed of lies.
by Francisco Stork
MoreScore: 2 non-white cis-male straight romance realistic Asperger's Syndrome Falling in Love 320 pages Lexile: HL700L
The term "cognitive disorder" implies there is something wrong with the way I think or the way I perceive reality. I perceive reality just fine. Sometimes I perceive more of reality than others. Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear — part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer . . . to join "the real world."
by Francisco Stork
MoreScore: 2 non-white cis-male straight romance realistic Asperger's Syndrome Falling in Love 320 pages Lexile: HL700L
The term "cognitive disorder" implies there is something wrong with the way I think or the way I perceive reality. I perceive reality just fine. Sometimes I perceive more of reality than others. Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear — part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer . . . to join "the real world."
by Stephanie Powell Watts
MoreScore: 2 non-white cis-male straight romance realistic revenge wealth women 384 pages
JJ Ferguson has returned home to Pinewood, North Carolina, to build his dream house and to pursue his high school sweetheart, Ava. But as he reenters his former world, where factories are in decline and the legacy of Jim Crow is still felt, he’s startled to find that the people he once knew and loved have changed just as much as he has.
by Stephanie Powell Watts
MoreScore: 2 non-white cis-male straight romance realistic revenge wealth women 384 pages
JJ Ferguson has returned home to Pinewood, North Carolina, to build his dream house and to pursue his high school sweetheart, Ava. But as he reenters his former world, where factories are in decline and the legacy of Jim Crow is still felt, he’s startled to find that the people he once knew and loved have changed just as much as he has.
by Tom Mendicino
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance confessional North Carolina Coming Out Counseling 340 pages
All it took to destroy Andy Nocera's seemingly perfect life was an anonymous tryst with another man in an Interstate rest area. The terms of his probation require Andy to complete one year of therapy without another arrest. He attends his sessions reluctantly at first, struggling to come to terms with this honest desires. Answers don't come easily, but as Andy searches his past, he gets an opportunity to rescue another lost soul--and a chance at a future that is different in every way from the one he had envisioned.
by Tom Mendicino
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance confessional North Carolina Coming Out Counseling 340 pages
All it took to destroy Andy Nocera's seemingly perfect life was an anonymous tryst with another man in an Interstate rest area. The terms of his probation require Andy to complete one year of therapy without another arrest. He attends his sessions reluctantly at first, struggling to come to terms with this honest desires. Answers don't come easily, but as Andy searches his past, he gets an opportunity to rescue another lost soul--and a chance at a future that is different in every way from the one he had envisioned.
by Bob Smith
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance science fiction New York Time Travel Satire 263 pages
In 2006 comic book dealer John Sherkston has decided to break up with his physicist boyfriend, Taylor Esgard, on the very day Taylor announces he’s finally perfected a time machine for the U.S government. John travels back to 1986, where he encounters “Junior,” his younger, more innocent self. When Junior starts to flirt, John wonders how to reveal his identity: “I’m you, only with less hair and problems you can’t imagine.”
by Bob Smith
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance science fiction New York Time Travel Satire 263 pages
In 2006 comic book dealer John Sherkston has decided to break up with his physicist boyfriend, Taylor Esgard, on the very day Taylor announces he’s finally perfected a time machine for the U.S government. John travels back to 1986, where he encounters “Junior,” his younger, more innocent self. When Junior starts to flirt, John wonders how to reveal his identity: “I’m you, only with less hair and problems you can’t imagine.”
by Becky Albertalli
MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic coming out homosexuality theater 336 pages Lexile: HL640L
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.
by Becky Albertalli
MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic coming out homosexuality theater 336 pages Lexile: HL640L
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.
by Madeline Miller
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance historical greece trojan war homosexuality 416 pages
A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner.
by Madeline Miller
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance historical greece trojan war homosexuality 416 pages
A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner.
by David Treuer
MoreScore: 2 non-white cis-male straight romance magical realism Minnesota Indian Literary 315 pages
Dr. Apelles, a translator of ancient texts, has made an unsettling discovery: a manuscript that has languished for years, written in a language that only he speaks. Moving back and forth between the scholar and his text, from a lone man in a labyrinthine archive to a pair of beautiful young Indian lovers in an unspoiled and snowy woodland, David Treuer weaves together two love stories.
by David Treuer
MoreScore: 2 non-white cis-male straight romance magical realism Minnesota Indian Literary 315 pages
Dr. Apelles, a translator of ancient texts, has made an unsettling discovery: a manuscript that has languished for years, written in a language that only he speaks. Moving back and forth between the scholar and his text, from a lone man in a labyrinthine archive to a pair of beautiful young Indian lovers in an unspoiled and snowy woodland, David Treuer weaves together two love stories.
by David Levithan
Featured Book Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic homosexuality 208 pages Lexile: HL780L
Harry and Craig are two seventeen-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record. While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teens dealing with universal questions of love, identity, and belonging.
by David Levithan
Featured Book Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic homosexuality 208 pages Lexile: HL780L
Harry and Craig are two seventeen-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record. While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teens dealing with universal questions of love, identity, and belonging.
by John & David Green & Levithan
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic Chicago Overweight Teens Musical Theater 336 pages Lexile: 930L
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.
by John & David Green & Levithan
Stonwall Award MoreScore: 2 white cis-male non-straight romance realistic Chicago Overweight Teens Musical Theater 336 pages Lexile: 930L
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.
by John Green
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance realistic Cancer Teens 336 pages Lexile: 850L
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
by John Green
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance realistic Cancer Teens 336 pages Lexile: 850L
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
by O. Henry
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance realistic poverty irony 735 pages
A parable of poverty, love, and irony. It's so hard to buy a good gift.
by O. Henry
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance realistic poverty irony 735 pages
A parable of poverty, love, and irony. It's so hard to buy a good gift.
by Jane Austen
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance realistic england sisters feminism 416 pages Lexile: 1100L
When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever.
by Jane Austen
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance realistic england sisters feminism 416 pages Lexile: 1100L
When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever.
by William Shakespeare
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance drama Italy Feud Marriage 261 pages
Romeo and Juliet love each other despite their parents' long-running feud. Despite everyone's efforts to help the newly married couple, a series of accidents and bad luck work to undo the happy ending.
by William Shakespeare
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance drama Italy Feud Marriage 261 pages
Romeo and Juliet love each other despite their parents' long-running feud. Despite everyone's efforts to help the newly married couple, a series of accidents and bad luck work to undo the happy ending.
by Thomas Hardy
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance realistic england governesses rape 595 pages Lexile: 1090L
Tess of the d'Urbervilles is part of a poor family of farmers in the English country side. She has to naviate the coming of automation, explotative noblility, and their impact on her family while trying to assert her own sexual and economic independence.
by Thomas Hardy
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance realistic england governesses rape 595 pages Lexile: 1090L
Tess of the d'Urbervilles is part of a poor family of farmers in the English country side. She has to naviate the coming of automation, explotative noblility, and their impact on her family while trying to assert her own sexual and economic independence.
by Claudia Gray
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance science fiction space and time families murder 384 pages Lexile: HL770L
Cloud Atlas meets Orphan Black in this epic dimension-bending trilogy about a girl who must chase her father's killer through multiple dimensions.
by Claudia Gray
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance science fiction space and time families murder 384 pages Lexile: HL770L
Cloud Atlas meets Orphan Black in this epic dimension-bending trilogy about a girl who must chase her father's killer through multiple dimensions.
by Stephenie Meyer
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance fantasy Washington Vampires Werewolves 544 pages Lexile: 720L
Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear.
by Stephenie Meyer
MoreScore: 1 white cis-female straight romance fantasy Washington Vampires Werewolves 544 pages Lexile: 720L
Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear.