Hiya everyone, new recommendation list for y’all! It’s not sapphic, who would have guessed! Today we want to highlight books about male loving males by authors who also identify as such, as so many of the most popular MLM books aren’t ownvoices đŚ Enjoy!!!! Sasha â¤
PS: Did you know, there’s a male version of the word Sapphic! It’s Achillean, after Achilles, and is an umbrella term for all men loving men (and non binary people who may identify as it too) the flag is very pretty too:
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
A cute and easily readable story of love, hope and space with an adorable gay romance at its centre and full of drama and surprises.
An entertaining, colourful and important book about pride, love and toxic masculinity in the gay community. A story of making mistakes and learning from them to become better people.
A fun, light fantasy which discussed some important topics, centring on two brothers and their complex magic system with a unique magic system, found family and rebellion!
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
A fierce, stunning and evocative story told in verse of a mixed race gay boy grappling with his identity and embracing his uniqueness.
A fabulous, heartfelt and fun story about coming into your own, with a loveable main character, wonderful friendships and sparkling all over with queer joy.
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores their childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia.
Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green
A hilarious, heartfelt and deeply enjoyable book about two boys who fake an amazing summer to get back at their cheating exes, and maybe discover feelings for each other along the way. A superb, witty and enthusiastic story that sparkled with fun.
The Extraordinaries by T. J. Klune
In Nova City, there are extraordinary people, capable of feats that defy the imagination. But that’s not Nick. Instead of fighting crime, Nick contends with a new year at school, a father who doesn’t trust him, and a best friend named Seth, who may or may not be the love of Nick’s short, uneventful life.
Fin & Rye & Fireflies by Harry Cook
A queer contemporary that was at once fun, enjoyable and heartwarming and also important and deep, a testament to the strength and resilience that LGBTQ+ teenagers have, showing that amid these darkest points of life there can be a light.
Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass
Connor Majorâs summer break is turning into a nightmare. His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he âchanges.â
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he canât get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
Wranglestone by Darron Charlton
In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice. Peter must help his crush herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over. But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary’s secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they’ve ever known.
Hideous Beauty by William Hussey
When Dylan and Ellisâs secret relationship is exposed on social media, Dylan is forced to come out. To Dylanâs surprise they are met with support and congratulations, but Dylanâs happiness is short-lived when Ellis dies in a car crash and he is left with his grief and the suspicion that it might not have been an accident that killed the boy he loved.
Deposing Nathan by Zack Smedley
Nate never imagined that he would be attacked by his best friend, Cam. Now, Nate is being called to deliver a sworn statement that will get Cam convicted. The problem is, the real story isnât that easy or convenientâjust like Nate and Camâs friendship.
The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters
Can Wes balance saving the used bookstore he works at, helping his brother with wedding plans, and finally winning over the heart of his best friend and long-time crush?
Jordan is determined he doesn’t need a man, but when he’s forced to team up with nemesis Rex to save his romance book club, Jordan soon discovers that Rex might not be the arrogant troll he made himself out to be, and that, like with all things in life, maybe he was wrong to judge a book by its cover.
How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi
Eighteen-year-old Amir Azadi always knew coming out to his Muslim family would be messy–he just didn’t think it would end in an airport interrogation room. But when faced with a failed relationship, bullies, and blackmail, running away to Rome is his only option. Right?
The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig
The only thing August Pfeiffer hates more than algebra is living in a vampire town. Located at a nexus of mystical energy fields, Fulton Heights is practically an electromagnet for supernatural drama. And when a mysterious (and annoyingly hot) vampire boy arrives with a cryptic warning, Auggie suddenly finds himself at the center of it.
The Friend Scheme by Cale Dietrich
High schooler Matt’s father is rich, powerful, and seemingly untouchableâa criminal with high hopes that his son will follow in his footsteps. Matt’s older brother Luke seems poised to do just that, with a bevy of hot girls in tow. But Matt has other ambitionsâand attractions.
Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
Darius Kellner is about to take his first-ever trip to Iran, and it’s pretty overwhelmingâespecially when he’s also dealing with clinical depression, a disapproving dad, and a chronically anemic social life. In Iran, he gets to know his ailing but still formidable grandfather, his loving grandmother, and the rest of his mom’s family for the first time. And he meets Sohrab, the boy next door who changes everything.
All Kane Montgomery knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. He canât remember how he got there, what happened after, and why his life seems so different now. And itâs not just Kane whoâs different, the world feels off, reality itself seems different.
Ziggy, Stardust and Me by James Brandon
The year is 1973. The Watergate hearings are in full swing. The Vietnam War is still raging. And homosexuality is still officially considered a mental illness. Jonathan Collins, a bullied, anxious, asthmatic kid escapes to the safe haven of his imagination, where his hero David Bowieâs Ziggy Stardust and dead relatives, including his mother, guide him through the rough terrain of his life.
The Music of What Happens by Bill Konisberg
Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they’re willing to risk — to get the thing they want the most
Now that high school is over, Ari is dying to move to the big city with his ultra-hip bandâif he can just persuade his dad to let him quit his job at their struggling family bakery. While interviewing candidates for his replacement, Ari meets Hector, an easygoing guy who loves baking as much as Ari wants to escape it.
Like A Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
It’s 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing. Reza knows he’s gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media’s images of men dying of AIDS. He’s dating Judy, an aspiring fashion designer who is a fierce LGBTQ+ activist alongside her gay uncle. Then Reza meets Art, their school’s only out and proud teen. As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won’t break Judy’s heart–and destroy the most meaningful friendship he’s ever known.
White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton
Adam must reconnect with his estranged brother when a spirit possesses his wife. But when he tries to help, the spirit sets its sights on Adam as it’s next target and to survive, he’ll have to confront his ex boyfriend, the elf who broke his heart.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire SĂĄenz
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.
Ten years ago, Peter Pan left Neverland to grow up, leaving behind his adolescent dreams of boyhood. But when he returns to Neverland, everything has changed: the Lost Boys have become men, and the war games they once played are now real and deadly. Even more shocking is the attraction Peter never knew he could feel for his old rival, Captain Hookâand the realization that he no longer knows which of them is the real villain.
Running With Lions by Julian Winters
Bloomington High School Lions’ star goalie, Sebastian Hughes, should be excited about his senior year: His teammates are amazing and he’s got a coach who doesn’t ask anyone to hide their sexuality. But when his estranged childhood best friend Emir Shah shows up to summer training camp, Sebastian realizes the team’s success may end up in the hands of the one guy who hates him.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Felix Love has never been in loveâand, yes, heâs painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what itâs like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. Whatâs worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that heâs one marginalization too manyâBlack, queer, and transgenderâto ever get his own happily-ever-after.
PS: The MLM rep in Felix Ever After isn’t ownvoices but the Black, trans and queer rep it is and we will find any excuse to include this in our rec lists heheh đ
Sasha and Amber Read 