Out on the Shelves: Gay

The books in this list feature Gay characters and experiences.

Out on the Shelves is a resource designed to connect young rainbow people with the stories that represent them, so these books are able to be enjoyed by both teen and adult readers alike.

Updated May 27, 2025
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Simon vs. the Homo sapiens agenda
Albertalli, Becky
Paper Book
Now a major motion picture: Love, Simon, starring Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford! This special edition of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by award-winning author Becky Albertalli includes new Simon and Blue emails, a behind-the-scenes scrapbook from the Love, Simon movie set,...
One man guy
Barakiva, Michael
Paper Book
Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Why bother, when their home cooking is far superior to anything "these Americans" could come up with? Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and...
Blood justice
Benton-Walker, Terry J
Paper Book
Blood Justice is the hotly anticipated sequel to Terry J. Benton-Walker's Most Anticipated debut Blood Debts. Praise for Blood Debts: "A conjuring of magnificence." --NIC STONE * "A force." --ROSEANNE A. BROWN * "An extravaganza."<...
The darkest part of the forest
Black, Holly
Paper Book
A girl makes a secret sacrifice to the faerie king in this lush New York Times bestselling fantasy by author Holly Black In the woods is a glass coffin. It rests on the ground, and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives.... ...
All that's left in the world
Brown, Erik J
Paper Book
What If It's Us meets They Both Die at the End in this postapocalyptic, queer YA adventure romance from debut author Erik J. Brown. Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera, Alex London, and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie's house, he's injured, starved, and has...
If I see you again tomorrow
Couch, Robbie
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! From the author of The Sky Blues and Blaine for the Win comes a speculative young adult romance about a teen stuck in a time loop that's endlessly monotonous until he meets the boy of his dreams. For some...
Gwen & Art are not in love
Croucher, Lex
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller! "A total, rollicking delight. Gwen & Art gave me the same cheeky, swoony, giddy, irresistible high of the first time I saw A Knight's Tale. Lex Croucher is one of my favorite romcom authors, and they should be yours...
Picture us in the light
Gilbert, Kelly Loy
Paper Book
Danny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father's closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realises there's much more to his family's past than he ever imagined. As Danny digs deeper, he uncovers a...
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Green, John
Paper Book
Two award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author join forces for a collaborative novel of awesome proportions. 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 Extraordinaries
Klune, TJ
Paper Book
An Indie Bestseller! An Indie Next Pick! A Gold Nautilus Book Award Winner! Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune's YA debut, The Extraordinaries, is a queer coming-of-age story about...
The house in the Cerulean Sea
Klune, TJ
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, INDIE and WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER! A 2021 Alex Award winner! The 2021 RUSA Reading List: Fantasy Winner! An Indie Next Pick! One of Publishers Weekly's "Most Anticipated Books of...
Fake dates and mooncakes
Lee, Sher
Paper Book
Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer. Dylan Tang wants to win a...
Ryan and Avery
Levithan, David
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of EVERY DAY, this is a queer love story for the ages--told over the course of a couple's first ten dates. When a blue-haired boy (Ryan) meets a pink-haired boy (Avery) at a dance--a queer prom--both feel an inexplicable but...
Wide awake
Levithan, David.
Paper Book
In the not-too-impossible-to-imagine future, a gay Jewish man has been elected president of the United States. Until the governor of one state decides that some election results in his state are invalid, awarding crucial votes to the other candidate, and his fellow party member. Thus is the...
Out of left field
Newman, Jonah
Paper Book
A nerdy gay teenager jumps headfirst into the bro-y world of high school baseball in this semi-autobiographical LGBTQ+ graphic novel. Ninth-grader Jonah is not a jock. On the contrary, he loves history class and nerdy movies, and his athletic ineptitude verges on tragic. So, what...
Heartstopper. Volume 1
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to...
Fence. Volume one
Pacat, C. S
Paper Book
Nicholas Cox is determined to prove himself in the world of competitive fencing, and earn his place alongside fencing legends like the dad he never knew, but things get more complicated when he's up against his golden-boy half-brother, as well as sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama. ...
Carry on : the rise and fall of Simon Snow
Rowell, Rainbow
Paper Book
#1 New York Times best seller! Booklist Editors' Choice 2015 - Youth! Named a "Best Book of 2015" by Time Magazine, School Library Journal, Barnes & Noble, NPR, PopSugar, The Millions, and The News & Observer! Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One...
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe
Sa?enz, Benjamin Alire.
Paper Book
Now a major motion picture starring Max Pelayo, Reese Gonzales, and Eva Longoria! A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) A lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Aristotle is an...
Charming young man
Schrefer, Eliot
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author Eliot Schrefer comes an exuberant YA historical coming-of-age novel about a rising star French pianist, navigating his way into high society as he explores his sexuality. Perfect for fans of Last Night at the Telegraph Club and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice...
The gravity of us
Stamper, Phil
Paper Book
"I'm so starry-eyed for this wise, romantic gem of a book." - Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda In this smart, heart-warming YA debut perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, two teens find love when their...
Cold
Tamaki, Mariko
Paper Book
A boy, a murder, a girl, a secret. From award-winning author Mariko Tamaki comes Cold, a haunting YA novel about a shocking crime, told by a boy who died--and a girl who wants to know why. Who was Todd Mayer, and why don't any of his fellow students at...
The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King
Trevaldwyn, Harry.
Paper Book
Heartstopper meets Derry Girls in this wonderfully hilarious rom-com about finding your first love when your personality might be too big for the world around you. Patch Simmons has decided that this is the year he will get a boyfriend, so it's goodbye to...
Dodge City
Trujillo, Josh
Paper Book
Dodge City is a YA sports comedy about making sense of a chaotic world and growing up against the insane backdrop of competitive dodgeball, told through the eyes of oddball Tomás and his teammates. Life comes at you fast, but dodgeballs come way faster! Tomás is a...
They hate each other
Woody, Amanda
Paper Book
Jonah and Dylan get along like oil and water. Until a fake dating ploy gives them new perspective, and they realize that "falling for your enemy" isn't as impossible as it seems. There are plenty of words Jonah Collins could use to describe Dylan Ramírez. "Arrogant," "spoiled,"...

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