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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.

LGBTQ literature has never experienced a better moment in history than the present. 2020 was a great year when it came to queer books and authors; for example, in September, “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas made history by being the first trans book by a trans author to make it to the New York Times Bestsellers list. 

 

“Cemetery Boys” is one of the many amazing LGBTQ book releases we got in 2020, and things are looking great for 2021 as well. 

 

There are many books with queer themes that are scheduled to be released in 2021, and I’ve chosen a few of the ones I’m looking forward to reading the most.

“One Last Stop” (Casey McQuiston, expected release date: June 1, 2021) 

I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about a book before — and that’s saying a lot. Casey McQuiston’s first book, “Red, White and Royal Blue,” is one of my all-time favorites, and I can’t wait to read their second one. 

 

Time-traveling, mystery-solving, a diverse cast, and a sapphic romance are all elements within the book that I’m excited to read about. Lucky readers who got to read the ARC are writing rave reviews, and I can’t wait to read this book myself.

“Any Way the Wind Blows” (Rainbow Rowell; expected release date: July 6, 2021)

The third and final book on the Simon Snow series, “Any Way the Wind Blows,” is scheduled to come out on July 6, 2021. This finale will tell secrets, answer questions, and reveal Simon’s final adventure. 

 

This series has a special place in my heart, as it was the book that made me fall back in love with reading after many years. I’m both terrified and extremely excited to find out how Simon Snow’s story ends.

“Among Thieves” (M.J. Kuhn; expected release date: Fall 2021) 

This fantasy debut by M.J. Kuhn has all the elements that make me believe it will be a great book: a heist, a found family trope, a magic world, betrayals, plot twists, and more. Though I’m not usually a big fantasy reader, this book seems like one that will capture my attention and make me stay up all night reading.

“May the Best Man Win” (Z.R. Ellor; expected release date: May 18, 2021)

This debut novel tells the story of Jeremy Harkiss, a trans boy who decides he won’t let coming out as transgender ruin his senior year, so he challenges his ex-boyfriend, Lukas Rivers, for the title of Homecoming King. 

 

This enemies-to-lovers romance promises to be an outstanding debut —I can’t wait to read it.

“She Drives Me Crazy” (Kelly Quindlen; expected release date: April 20, 2021)

This book contains some of my favorite fiction tropes — fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, sports rivalries — and I can’t stress enough how excited I am to read it. “She Drives Me Crazy” tells the story of Scottie Zajac, a girl who gets into an accident with her nemesis — Irene Abraham — after losing to her ex-girlfriend in their first game after their break up. 

 

After the accident, Scottie and Irene are forced to carpool together, and things only get more complicated when Scottie bribes Irene into helping her get back at her ex. This sapphic rom-com is promised to make us laugh and fall in love with its characters’ adventures. 

“A Lesson in Vengeance” (Victoria Lee; expected release date: Aug 3, 2021)

This sapphic, dark-academia thriller tells the story of Felicity Morrow, who is back at her boarding school, Dalloway, one year after her girlfriend’s death. 

 

She wants to focus on her senior thesis and upcoming graduation, but she is drawn to Dalloway’s occult side. When Ellis, a freshman, asks for Felicity’s help researching the school’s history, Felicity can’t say no. The only issue I have with this book is that it is coming out in August; I’d rather read it right now. 

There are many other great LGBTQ books scheduled to come out next year, and I can’t fit all of them in one post. However, the ones I listed here are some of the ones I’m looking forward to the most, and I hope that you find a book in this list that you’ll want to read as well. 

 

Source: Pride

Rafaela (she/her) is a senior at Penn State, majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Journalism and Sports Studies. She spends too much time listening to Taylor Swift and reading romance novels.
Arden Ericson will graduate Penn State in May of 2023. As one of the Campus Correspondents for Her Campus at PSU, she is a double-major in Public Relations and French Language. After graduation, she will pursue a career that combines her passion for educational equity, social justice and French.