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LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Reads December 2025 |
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Leaving the Station
by Jake Maia Arlow
Zoe takes a cross-country train over the fall break to sort out their falling out with friends, come to terms with their gender identity, and more while making new friends and connections--
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This Raging Sea
by De Elizabeth
When eighteen-year-old Briar's best friend who she has loved since childhood, Finn, strikes a bargain with a witch and disappears from time itself, Briar races against time to uncover the horrific mysteries of Loch Creek, learning shocking truths about the town and a unique magic system in order to save Finn.
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If We Were a Movie
by Zakiya N. Jamal
Rochelle 'The Shell' Coleman is laser focused on only three things: becoming valedictorian, getting into Wharton, and, of course, taking down her annoyingly charismatic nemesis and only academic competition, Amira Rodriguez. However, despite her stellar grades, Rochelle's college application is missing that extra special something: a job. When Rochelle gets an opportunity to work at Horizon Cinemas, the beloved Black-owned movie theater, she begrudgingly jumps at the chance to boost her chances at getting into her dream school. There's only one problem: Amira works there--and is also her boss. ... Horizon's in trouble, and when mysterious things begin happening that make Horizon's chances of staying open slimmer, it's up to the employees to solve the mystery before it's too late--but will love also find its way into the spotlight?--Provided by publisher.
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Donut Summer
by Anita Kelly
'Relaxing' and 'getting a tan' may be on most teens' summer to-do lists, but for chronically freckled and deeply anxious Penny Dexter? Not a chance. Socking money away for college? Of course. Babysitting her siblings? Sure. Becoming a climate scientist and saving the world? She wishes. At least she can tackle the tuition money with the seasonal gig she landed at Delicious Donuts. But when she finds out that her genderqueer nemesis, Mateo della Penna, will also be working behind the counter, Penny's summer of mindless labor instantly vanishes before her eyes. Mateo is ridiculous and artsy, and their favorite kind of donut is Boston Cráeme (gross!). But the duo's two-and-a-half-year feud will have to take a backseat when the donut shop is threatened by a corporate takeover. As their small town faces big pressure, and anxiety threatens everything Penny's worked for, there's still one person who remains by her side. And though their taste in donuts is questionable, Mateo's presence manages to keep Penny calm and focused. Could it be that Penny's found the perfect, most infuriating person to change the world with?--
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The Afterdark
by E. Latimer
Northcroft is an elite boarding school with a deadly secret. Each night as the bell tolls and the shutters slam down, cutting off the outside world, the Afterdark descends, turning the surrounding old growth forest into a macabre copy of itself. A negative photograph crawling with horrors. Evie Laurent is certain of one thing from the moment she sees Holland Morgan on the front steps of Northcroft: she wants to know everything there is to know about her. But there are some things about Evie herself that are better kept secret. Especially the fact that she let her sister drown. And that it's getting harder to ignore her dark impulses. . . . Holland Morgan knows falling for Evie is just one more terrible choice in her long history of terrible choices. The problem is, she's not sure she cares. As attraction turns slowly to obsession, they find themselves playing a dangerous game. Something out there is calling to each of them. Beckoning to the shadows within. Do they fight the call and protect one another, or answer, and embrace the darkness?--
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Everything She Does Is Magic
by Bridget Morrissey
Darcy Keller, resident ray of sunshine and town spirit princess, loves every moment of Fableview's fall festivities. But she's also really ready to leave for college next year, even though her parents expect her to stay and take over their Halloween empire. Enter brooding new girl Anya Doyle, a real-life witch and almost a full member of her coven. In order to be initiated, she has to choose a mortal ally to act as her protector. But having moved around so much, Anya is completely friendless. So she does what any self-respecting teenage almost-witch would--she lies and tells her coven her secret crush, Darcy, is willing to do the job. The solution? Work together, of course. The girls agree to help each other out, attending everything from a costume parade to a pumpkin patch party to an apple bobbing contest together. But with Anya's magical powers and Darcy's future independence on the line, the last thing they need is the added complication of pesky feelings...--
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You've Goth My Heart
by L. C. Rosen
When sixteen-year-old Gray starts receiving anonymous messages from what seems like the perfect goth, he dares to hope it could lead to something real, but between his closeted ex coming back into the picture, and a possible serial killer targeting local gay teens, falling in love might just get him killed--
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The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King
by Harry Trevaldwyn
When two new boys join the drama club, sixteen-year-old English Patch boldly exerts his charm in an attempt to acquire his first boyfriend.
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Toxic Summer
by Derek Charm
Best friends Ben and Leo are ready to celebrate the summer after graduation by patrolling the beaches of idyllic seaside town Port Dorian as lifeguards--allowing them to also check out the hottest hunks and snag invites to the best parties, of course. But they arrive to find that a mysterious toxic spill has turned the water unswimmable and littered the shore with rotting fish carcasses. Their jobs become beach cleanup and the hunks are nowhere to be seen--like hermit crabs. When they save a local historian with suspiciously glowing eyes from the water, and tentacled monsters begin snatching people in the night, Ben and Leo have to team up with the only other teens in town to uncover the cause of the spill, save their new friends and family, and try to get this sexy summer back on track before it's too late.--Provided by publisher.
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Blades of Furry (a Graphic Novel): Volume 1 by Emily ErdosEmile, a promising rookie in the high-stakes world of battle skating, learns the reigning champion Radu's secret, and must decide whether use it to take his rival down, all the while getting closer and closer to him.
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Arcana: The Lost Heirs
by Sam Prentice-Jones
Debut author/illustrator Sam Prentice-Jones explores fighting against your destiny and reconciling the actions of your ancestors in Arcana: The Lost Heirs, a tarot-inspired fantasy graphic novel for young adults.
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Strange Bedfellows: A Graphic Novel
by Ariel Slamet Ries
In this stunning graphic novel by two-time Ignatz award-winning graphic novelist Ariel Slamet Ries, Oberon must choose between fantasy and reality when he develops the ability to conjure his dreams in real life--including the facsimile of the boy who got away.In the not-too-distant future, most of humanity resides on its last-ditch effort at utopia: Meridian, a remote alien planet where you're more likely to be born superhuman than left-handed. None of that is important to Oberon Afolayan. Since his mildly public breakdown, his whole life seems to be spiraling out of control--from dropping out of university to breaking up with his boyfriend, it seems like only a karmic inevitability when he wakes up one day with the ability to conjure his dreams in the real world. Oberon's newfound powers come with a facsimile of his high school crush, Kon, who mysteriously dropped off the face of the planet almost three years ago and who is a little more infuriating (if not also infuriatingly hot) than Oberon remembers. Kon makes it his mission to turn Oberon's life around, and while they struggle to get a handle on his powers and his disastrous personal life (not to mention the appearance of strange nightmare creatures), it turns out this dream version of Kon has secrets of his own--dangerous ones. Oberon might have more on his plate than he originally thought, but is giving up his dreams--even the one he might have accidentally fallen in love with--the only way to find happiness in reality?
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