Book picks similar to
He Called Me Beautiful by Annabeth Chatwin
lgbt
contemporary
mm
ya
The Glass House
Suki Fleet - 2015
He craves friendship but his self-destructive tendencies cause problems and he pushes people away. Every day he collects glass for the sculptures he makes and every day he dies a little more inside. Until he meets Thomas. Thomas is shy but sure of himself in a way Sasha doesn’t understand. He makes it his mission to prove to Sasha that everyone deserves to be loved, and doesn't give up even when Sasha hurts him. Their friendship becomes more than Sasha ever thought possible. And when Sasha is forced to confront his past he realizes that accepting he is worthy of the love Thomas gives him is the only way to obliterate the darkness.
Creating Chaos
Lacey Dailey - 2018
His sexual identity and close friendship with his parents has made him a target for every bully in Hillside High's student body. With less than a year to graduation, Gideon hopes to lay low and get out unscathed.In a failed first attempt at blending in, Gideon finds himself seated next to Elliott Oakley—the new kid.Following his mother's death, Elliott packs his bags and leaves small town Iowa for a fresh start in Durham, North Carolina. Making new friends was not on his agenda but when Gideon sits beside him, a frown on his face, he can't help but make conversation.Side by side in Chemistry class, Gideon and Elliott bond over a mutual hatred for teenage torment and a shared love of earning trophies. As the year progresses, their friendship evolves into something unexpected yet welcome. Their new relationship ensures they stick out like a sore thumb but when they're together, blending in doesn't seem so important anymore. Together, they have exactly what they need to survive their final months of high school.Until Elliott's past makes the journey from Iowa all the way to North Carolina, threatening to destroy their bond. Gideon and Elliott are left to wonder... is love really strong enough?
Openly, Honestly
Bill Konigsberg - 2017
He wasn't expecting his best friend, Claire Olivia, to kidnap him. And he definitely wasn't expecting what she has planned to cheer him up...Ben Carver was honestly planning to spend winter break at home in New Hampshire not thinking about Rafe. But he wasn't expecting to run into his ex-girlfriend, who's still interested in him. And he wasn't expecting to find himself still attracted to her...Openly, Honestly tells two funny, sad, beautiful stories that were made for anyone who has longed for one person to see you, to understand you, and to love you exactly as you are.
When It All Falls Down
Tanya Chris - 2017
Charlie’s tough, though. He doesn’t mind eating lunch alone or watching his former gang interact with their new best buddy. What he does mind is seeing Drew Lavoitt suffer the same fate. Drew didn’t come out. As far as he, or anyone else knows, he’s straight. What Drew did is accidentally hit and kill a little girl. Now the boy who was voted Most Popular, and who Charlie has maybe had a crush on since eighth grade, faces financial ruin, expulsion, and the fear that if he’s not everything, he’s not enough. Popularity, wealth, acclaim—these things are easily lost. In each other’s arms, Drew and Charlie find something that can’t be taken from them. Together the two build a foundation on which they can re-create their lives.
That One Summer
K.M. Neuhold - 2018
Every summer my only form of entertainment is to ogle Miles Winters and count ceiling tiles while I mark off days on the calendar until school starts again. The last thing I expected during my last summer before college was to somehow fall in with the cool kids. Actually, the last thing I expected was for Miles to suddenly notice me. It doesn’t make any sense the way he’s looking at me and coming around to hang out every day. I don’t understand it, but I have the feeling this just might turn out to be the best summer of my life. **This is a short (~10k words), low angst, YA romance.
Reasons to Love a Nerd Like Me
Becky Jerams - 2015
However being a nerd can have its downsides, particularly when you're constantly being targeted by the school bully Taylor Raven and his cronies. As Scotty tries to navigate his final college years with the aid of his best friend Olive, he also finds himself on the radar of the mysterious and intimidating Vincent Hunter, toughest guy in the Sixth Form. Is Vincent really as bad as he seems? Will Scotty's darkest secret ever be revealed? Can he ever just finish his last few college years in peace? But most importantly... will any guy ever find the reasons to love a nerd like him?
A Boy Worth Knowing
Jennifer Cosgrove - 2017
But they aren’t the only ones making his high school years a living hell. All Nate wants is to keep his secret and keep his head down until he can graduate. That is, until the new boy, James Powell, takes a seat next to him in homeroom. James not only notices him, he manages to work his way into Nate’s life. But James has issues of his own.Between dead grandmothers and living aunts, Nate has to navigate the fact that he’s falling in love with his only friend, all while getting advice from the most unusual places.Ghosts, bullies, first love: it’s a lot to deal with when you’re just trying to survive senior year.
Full Disclosure
D.J. Jamison - 2017
Getting a call to list a house while parading as a hot dog for a few bucks seems like my lucky break. Then things go sideways. My apartment is burglarized, and getting caught half-naked while squatting in my own listing is a low point. Meeting the sexy-voiced stranger who is now my client and realizing he has a gorgeous, cold boyfriend? Major bummer. But hey! I might sell a house ... if all the odd questions about my client don't get in the way.ReidI'm a washed up US marshal turned bodyguard, and even that's lost its appeal. A leave of absence to deal with a house I inherited in Kansas seems like a good opportunity to get my head straight -- but when my boss asks me to help a witness being targeted by a gang, I decide to take him with me. The guy is a criminal, but he's young and gay, so we set up a cover as a couple. Of course, I wasn't counting on the gorgeous real estate agent who makes me want something more in my life. When he starts asking questions, do I set him straight or risk losing him for good? And then there's still those gang members to think about ...
Social Intercourse
Greg Howard - 2018
the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets The Parent Trap.Beck: The Golden Girls-loving, out-and-proud choir nerd growing up in the “ass-crack of the Bible belt.” Jax: The Golden Boy, star quarterback with a slick veneer facing uncomfortable truths about himself and his past. When Beck’s emotionally fragile dad starts dating the recently single (and supposedly lesbian) mom of former bully, Jaxon Parker, Beck is not having it. Jax isn’t happy about the situation either, holding out hope that his moms will reunite and restore the only stable home he’s ever known. Putting aside past differences, the boys plot to derail the budding romance between their parents at their conservative hometown’s first-ever Rainbow Prom. Hearts will be broken, new romance will bloom, but nothing will go down the way Beck and Jax have planned. In his hilarious and provocative debut, Greg Howard examines the challenges of growing up different in a small southern town through the lens of colorful and unforgettable characters who stay with you long after the last drop of sweet tea.
Gives Light
Rose Christo - 2012
Skylar hasn't uttered a single word since his mother died eleven years ago, a senseless tragedy he's grateful he doesn't have to talk about.When Skylar's father mysteriously vanishes one summer afternoon, Skylar is placed in the temporary custody of his only remaining relative, an estranged grandmother living on an Indian reservation in the middle of arid Arizona.Adapting to a brand new culture is the least of Skylar's qualms. Because Skylar's mother did not die a peaceful death. Skylar's mother was murdered eleven years ago on the Nettlebush Reserve. And her murderer left behind a son.And he is like nothing Skylar has ever known.
Damaged (Necessary Evils, #3.5)
NOT A BOOK - 2022
He was five. Dimitri is a psychopath. And he’s still obsessed with just one person.Arlo Miller was born a victim, raised as his father’s punching bag and his mother’s scapegoat. Dimitri was his only protection, and they took him away.As children they clung to each other. As adults, they pretend neither remembers, while both harbor secret crushes. Dimitri hides his feelings behind a mask of indifference. Arlo hides his by falling for very bad men.When one of those men confronts Dimitri, this time Arlo commits a felony. Murder. But Dimitri won’t allow Arlo to take the fall. With the help of Dimitri’s mother and seven psychopaths, they now have twenty-four hours to fake an alibi, hide a body, and confess their true feelings for each other once and for all. Which is harder? Falling in love or getting away with murder?NOTE: This can be read as a stand-alone but these characters do make a cameo in Headcase (Necessary Evils, #4).
Guyliner
J. Leigh Bailey - 2016
He has the grades, the extracurriculars, the athletics, and a part-time job at his dad’s shop… every detail specifically chosen to ensure the college scholarships he needs to get the hell out of the Podunk town where he lives. The last thing he needs is an unexpected attraction to Graham, an eyeliner-wearing soccer phenom from St. Louis, who makes him question his goals and his sexuality. Sure, he’s noticed good-looking boys before—that doesn’t have to mean anything, right?—but he’s got a girlfriend. There’s no room on the agenda for hooking up with Graham, but the heart doesn’t always follow the rules.As he and Graham grow close, other aspects of Connor’s life fall apart. Family pressure, bad luck, and rumors threaten to derail his carefully laid plans. Suddenly the future he’s fighting for doesn’t seem quite as alluring, especially if he has to deny who he really is to achieve it.
Cake Clash
Claire Castle - 2018
When his co-worker sends in an application for him to compete on the reality baking show, Cake Clash, he’s nervous but also excited for the opportunity. Even if he secretly wishes he was competing alongside Josiah. Chef Jos, one of the youngest, renowned celebrity chefs, and a notorious recluse, is surprised when he’s asked to be a judge on the reality television baking show, but takes the opportunity as a fresh start. He’s blown away when he recognizes Finn as one of the contestants. The years separated from Finn have transformed him from Josiah Stevens to Chef Jos, and seem to disappear in the presence of his first love. Can they make up for lost time, and reconnect for love on the rollercoaster ride that is Cake Clash?
Shane and Trey
Anyta Sunday - 2012
He has just started college and is stuck rooming with that bastard Trey. His sister's boyfriend. His sister's damn fine boyfriend. Uh-oh. This so wasn't going to happen. But try as he might, there's just a little too much to ignore between the two of them...
A Forbidden Rumspringa
Keira Andrews - 2014
There’s no rumspringa for exploration beyond the boundaries of their insular world. Isaac will soon have to officially join the church and take a wife, but he yearns for freedom.He yearns for David.When he becomes David’s carpentry apprentice, Isaac discovers he’s not alone in his longing. Passion ignites amid sweat and sawdust. Somehow, Isaac and David must reconcile their deepening love for each other with their commitment to faith, family, and community.Now that they’ve found each other, are they willing to lose it all?A Forbidden Rumspringa by Keira Andrews is a gay romance and the first book in a series of forbidden Amish love. It contains steamy exploration, forced proximity, Jane Austen levels of pining, and of course a happy ending.