lgbtqia+ people

"The end of Daya Keane's junior year in Escondido, Arizona, is anything but expected. And it starts when her longtime, swoon-worthy crush, Beckett Wild, actually talks to her at a party neither of them should've been at. But as Daya's best friends, Stella and B'Rad, are quick to point out, smart, cute, artistic Beckett is also the poster girl for the wildly popular youth group at Grace Redeemer, the megachurch Daya's mom prays at and pushes her daughter to attend. Amid the concert-worthy light shows, high-energy live band, and pastor preaching to love thy neighbor so long as thy neighbor 'gets right with God' first, Daya struggles to find her place in a house of worship that doesn't seem to create space for someone like her. Then again, she never planned to fall this hard for a girl like Beckett Wild. Now Daya has to decide how far she's willing to surrender to Beckett's world of Grace Redeemer, and who she's willing to become to be with her"--Provided by publisher.

Joaquin Zoido is out and proud of it. And while he knew his dad and sister, Carmen, would be super supportive, he wasn?t quite ready for them to surprise him with a queercea?era, a coming out party to celebrate him. Between all the talks of tastings and venues, and the chirping of his family?s RSVP texts, the question of who will be his chambel?n is on everyone?s minds. What Joaquin is decidedly trying to not think about is whether his mom is going attend or if she?s finally replaced him with her favorite godson, Felix?the boy who made Joaquin realize he was gay and who was his first kiss. But when an impromptu lie snowballs into a full-fledged family-group-chat rumor, every Zoido from Texas to Mexico starts believing that Felix is not only Joaquin?s chambel?n but also his brand-new boyfriend. To avoid the pity and sympathies of an ill-timed breakup, Joaquin and Felix strike a deal?they?ll stay fake boyfriends until the party. Yet, as the day draws nearer and old feelings spark anew, Joaquin will have to decide whether a picture-perfect queercea?era with a fake boyfriend is worth giving up the chance of something real.

"Nicolas 'Nico' Hall is sixteen when he escapes from Dr. H's religious gay reprogramming institute in California. On his own, he assumes one identity after another to avoid recapture as he flees south to Peru and then to Mexico. Seven days older than Nico, Samuel 'Sam' Jonas Solomon is a privileged Upper West Side only child who idolizes James Bond. When his heart is broken, he vows that, like Bond, he's never going to trust in love again. Then he meets Nico, and his heart won't listen to any logic. Nico's survived by living only for himself--until his love for Sam has him risking his freedom for others. And as much as Sam wants to be like 007, he discovers that James Bond is a terrible role model. Together, Nico and Sam set out to free the other teens trapped in Dr. H's Institute, plunging readers into perils, drama, and a long-shot chance at love. To succeed, they'll both have to be A Different Kind of Brave"--Provided by publisher.

In The Falls of the Wyona by David Brendan Hopes, four friends growing up on the banks of a wild Appalachian river just after WWII discover, almost at the same time, the dangerous, alluring Falls and the perils of their own maturing hearts. Seen through the eyes of his best friend Arden, football hero Vince falls in love with the new kid, Glen. They have no context for their feelings, and the next few years of high school become a tense, though sometimes funny, artifice of concealment. The winner of Red Hen?s Quill Prize, The Falls of the Wyona is the first of three achieved (and several more projected) novels by this author imbued with the magical atmosphere of Appalachian culture.

"Winning the chance to resurrect her ex-best friend Annie LeBlanc from the dead for 30 days, Wilson Moss, ecstatic to have her back, discovers a loophole that may mean Annie can stay for good, but the only person who can help is someone who hates them both"--Provided by publisher.

Getting into Hollywood is the dream of many and the outcome of few. Here, Rebel Wilson details her road to that promised land, the bizarre detours it took and the lessons she learned along the way. All in her usual hilarious way, of course.

When college freshman Grace Mendes reluctantly attends her first pillow fight match, she falls in love with the surprisingly gritty sport. Despite her usually shy, introverted, and reserved nature, Grace decides to try out for the Pillow Fight Federation (PFF), a locally famous league of fighters with larger-than-life personas like Pain Eyre, Miss Fortune, and champion Kat Atonic. They may battle with pillows, but there is nothing soft about these fighters. The first and only rule to pillow fighting is that the pillow needs to be the first point of contact; after that, everything else goes. Grace struggles with deep-seated body image issues, so she is especially shocked when she makes the competitive league and is welcomed into the fold of close knit, confident fighters. As her first official fight performing as newly crafted alter-ego/ring persona Cinderhella looms on the horizon, the real battle taking place is between Grace and her growing insecurities. What if people laugh or make fun of her? Why did she think she could pillow fight in the first place when she doesn't look like your "typical" athlete? Turns out, no one is laughing when Cinderhella dominates her first match in the ring. And as her alter-ego rises through the ranks of the PFF, gaining traction and online fame (and online trolls), can Grace use the spotlight to become an icon for not just others, but most importantly, for herself?.

After coming out as transgender, Chris is still processing a frightening assault he survived the year before, while Maia, grieving the loss of her older sister, is trying to find her place in the world, which makes falling in love the furthest thing on their minds--until it is not.

An unknown hacker with personal motives targets Asa and Riven costing them their latest job and turning everyone in Requiem against them, so the two enter a deadly trial for control of one of the city's crime sectors in order to protect their crew.

When sixteen-year-old Olive summons a ghost to find out what happens after people die, she unleashes an otherworldly danger that threatens everyone she loves.