Love Snow Boys? Readers share 100 books like Snow Boys...

By Simon Doyle,

Here are 100 books that Snow Boys fans have personally recommended if you like Snow Boys. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of All the Pretty Boys

Eric Dakota Author Of Except for Cough Drops

From my list on gay coming-of-age books that capture the realism of the experience.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up a closeted gay in a very straight world. I enjoy reading both true and fictional stories about how others grew up and came out. I decided to write about coming-out and coming-of-age because this mixture of topics just didnā€™t exist when I was a teen. The books that I have listed here are ones that I feel capture both the realism of what is, what we wished had been, and the hope of what could beā€”a world where "coming out" wouldnā€™t be necessary.

Eric's book list on gay coming-of-age books that capture the realism of the experience

Eric Dakota Why did Eric love this book?

I loved the mixture of third and first person that this story is told in. The main character Dillon is both fun, sad, and imminently well-drawn. His harrowing dash from Perth to Sydney, his relationships with Amy, Pastor Pete, wonderful Dixie, and Stephen, and his sheer will to be his authentic self, had me both scared and happy for him.

I loved the mixture of coming-out and coming-of-age with some thriller elements thrown in, not something that I see a lot of in coming-of-age novels.

By Jay Castelletti,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All the Pretty Boys as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A teenager's quest for freedom leads him on the streets and into the path of a local serial killer.

15-year-old Dillon is on the run.

Until recently he enjoyed friends, family, and the safe confines of a religious cult. But when a confession ignites the wrath of his church Dillon escapes ... and he's about to discover a vast world beyond the private walls of his former life.

Once in Sydney he faces a bustling city full of dreams and nightmares. Desperate to survive, Dillon is lured to the red-light district where strangers pay for pretty boys.

Here he forgesā€¦


Book cover of Boy Shattered

Eric Dakota Author Of Except for Cough Drops

From my list on gay coming-of-age books that capture the realism of the experience.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up a closeted gay in a very straight world. I enjoy reading both true and fictional stories about how others grew up and came out. I decided to write about coming-out and coming-of-age because this mixture of topics just didnā€™t exist when I was a teen. The books that I have listed here are ones that I feel capture both the realism of what is, what we wished had been, and the hope of what could beā€”a world where "coming out" wouldnā€™t be necessary.

Eric's book list on gay coming-of-age books that capture the realism of the experience

Eric Dakota Why did Eric love this book?

I fell deeply for Brian and identified with him. I wasnā€™t ever a quarterback or a football player, but I was deeply in the closet in high school, all the while pining for other guys. I admired boys like Landon, unafraid to be authentic in the face of bigotry and hate.

This is a coming-out, coming-of-age story quite unlike most out there and certainly not for the faint of heart. Its subject matter is tragic and timely and frames and focuses on the coming-out and shedding of boyhood for both of the main characters. I laughed, I cried, and it was definitely better than Cats!

By Eli Easton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Boy Shattered as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

BrianYouā€™ll make it out of here, Brian. I swear.I had everythingā€”school quarterback, popular with girls, and my dad was proud of me. I told myself it didnā€™t matter no one knew the real me. And then I nearly died. Landon saved my life. Heā€™s the bravest guy I know. He came out a few years ago, proud and fierce, and he ran into gunfire to help others. Me, Iā€™m a mess. Canā€™t even stand to be in a room with the curtains open. But hereā€™s the thing about losing it all: You get a chance to start over and beā€¦


Book cover of Pride High

Eric Dakota Author Of Except for Cough Drops

From my list on gay coming-of-age books that capture the realism of the experience.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up a closeted gay in a very straight world. I enjoy reading both true and fictional stories about how others grew up and came out. I decided to write about coming-out and coming-of-age because this mixture of topics just didnā€™t exist when I was a teen. The books that I have listed here are ones that I feel capture both the realism of what is, what we wished had been, and the hope of what could beā€”a world where "coming out" wouldnā€™t be necessary.

Eric's book list on gay coming-of-age books that capture the realism of the experience

Eric Dakota Why did Eric love this book?

I loved this book because Jay Bell has done, successfully, what authors are warned against ā€“ have a large cast of characters. Each one of his characters is fully drawn and stands apart from any of the others. I love the variety of backgrounds, cultures, and orientations; each characterā€™s thread wound expertly into the story's overall tapestry.

I was grateful to learn that there are more books in the series because I didnā€™t want the story to end when I reached the last page!

By Jay Bell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Pride High as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Pride series is intended for mature teenagers and nostalgic adults who enjoy sex-positive stories, realistic relationships, and gorgeous guys.

Whatā€™s it like growing up in the 90s? Letā€™s ask the students of Pride High:

Anthony Cullen: My life would be perfect if I wasnā€™t in the closet. And in love with my straight best friend. Do you think heā€™ll ever notice me?

Omar Jafari: Iā€™m flunking out of most of my classes, but hey, a girl talked to me. And sheā€™s likeā€¦ insanely pretty! So maybe I should stop secretly hooking up with a dude.

Silvia Diaz: Listen, myā€¦


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Book cover of A School for Unusual Girls

A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin,

A spy school for girls amidst Jane Austenā€™s high society.

Daughters of the Beau Monde who donā€™t fit London societyā€™s strict mold are banished to Stranje House, where the headmistress trains these unusually gifted girls to enter the dangerous world of spies in the Napoleonic wars. #1 NYT bestselling authorā€¦

Book cover of Heartmates

Eric Dakota Author Of Except for Cough Drops

From my list on gay coming-of-age books that capture the realism of the experience.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up a closeted gay in a very straight world. I enjoy reading both true and fictional stories about how others grew up and came out. I decided to write about coming-out and coming-of-age because this mixture of topics just didnā€™t exist when I was a teen. The books that I have listed here are ones that I feel capture both the realism of what is, what we wished had been, and the hope of what could beā€”a world where "coming out" wouldnā€™t be necessary.

Eric's book list on gay coming-of-age books that capture the realism of the experience

Eric Dakota Why did Eric love this book?

Love gone wrong. I grew to really care about Lars (Conner... somewhat), and I turned the pages because why the love had gone wrong was a mystery until late in the novel. I thought Larsā€™ pining away over a boy he cared about but hadnā€™t talked to in three years was compelling, especially in an age where we are encouraged to "move on" or "get over it."

I loved this story and plan to read it again soon!

By Marcus Herzig,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Heartmates as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Science, Shakespeare, and superheroes come together in this heartwarming tale of friendship, love, and second chances

This Valentine's Day, sixteen-year-old Lars Lofgren is crabby. Everyone is in love and reminding him he isn't. Things proceed from bad to worse when Connor Perry, Lars's former best friend and first crush who hasn't spoken with him in three years, starts dating social media star Jaden-Dominic Choi.

Joining an illustrious cast of characters for a school production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the former friends suddenly find themselves back in the same social circle, but it's a complicated affair as Lars can't seem toā€¦


Book cover of We Contain Multitudes

Michael Cart Author Of Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism

From my list on beautifully capturing gay teensā€™ lives and loves.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve been a full-time writer since 1994 and have so far published twenty-seven books, three of them with gay themes: My Fatherā€™s Scar, a gay coming-of-age novel and two about LGBTQ+ issues: Top 250 LGTBQ Books for Teens and The Heart Has Its Reasons, a history of queer literature. Iā€™ve been interested in this literature since I was a gay teen myself, because there were no YA books with queer characters then. I missed seeing my face in the pages of a good book and so I promised myself that when I became an adult. I would make sure there was an ample assortment for todayā€™s queer kids. And, guess what? Iā€™ve kept my promise!

Michael's book list on beautifully capturing gay teensā€™ lives and loves

Michael Cart Why did Michael love this book?

Hereā€™s another book that I love because itā€™s a story about love, the love of two boys who are unlikely companions: one is a former football player, taciturn and withdrawn; the other is openly gay, a short, slender, fine-boned boy who idolizes the poet Walt Whitman, whose words become a leitmotif of this remarkable novel. Told in the form of. letters that the two boys exchange, it follows their emerging friendship as it gradually turns into a love thatā€™s as poetic as Whitmanā€™s well-chosen words. The relationship of the boys ā€“ who are characters to die for ā€“ is riveting and their story, unforgettable. Another terrific addition to gay literature for teens.   

By Sarah Henstra,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked We Contain Multitudes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Jonathan Hopkirk and Adam 'Kurl' Kurlansky are partnered in English class, writing letters to one another in a weekly pen pal assignment. With each letter, the two begin to develop a friendship that grows into love. But with homophobia, bullying, and familial abuse, Jonathan and Kurl must struggle to overcome their conflicts and hold onto their relationship, and each other.We Contain Multitudes is the sort of novel that has readers falling in love with their characters, becoming so invested in their stories and conflicts that it's impossible to put the book down. The literary languages and references throughout (particularly toā€¦


Book cover of The Dangerous Art of Blending In

Ronni Davis Author Of When the Stars Lead to You

From my list on to make you ugly cry.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve been a sensitive person for as long as I can remember, but crying over books? Thatā€™s not something I did when I was growing up. Truthfully, I never cried over a book until I was fully into adulthood and I read The Giver. Because itā€™s hard for me, still, to cry over a book, I am very intentional with the books I select to read and recommend. It takes a lot for me to feel that gut punch, and when I do, the payoff is tremendous. And if itā€™s making me cry, then itā€™s going to make many, many people cry.

Ronni's book list on to make you ugly cry

Ronni Davis Why did Ronni love this book?

The Dangerous Art of Blending In is about Evan, who is trying to figure out his place in the world. He has a strict (read: abusive) Greek immigrant mother, a father who works works works, and he is struggling with his sexuality and the boy he kissed over the summer. Evanā€™s been silent about so much all this time, that itā€™s now time for him to find and use his voice. And he does so in such a beautiful and inspiring way. This book will make you feel so many things. 

By Angelo Surmelis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Dangerous Art of Blending In as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

~Lambda Literary Award finalist for the best LGBT YA novel of 2018~

A raw, powerful, but ultimately uplifting debut novel perfect for fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe from debut author Angelo Surmelis.

Seventeen-year-old Evan Panos doesnā€™t know where he fits in. His strict immigrant Greek mother refuses to see him as anything but a disappointment. His quiet, workaholic father is a staunch believer in avoiding any kind of conflict. And his best friend, Henry, has somehow become distractingly attractive over the summer.

Tired, isolated, scaredā€”Evan finds that his only escape is to draw inā€¦


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Book cover of Water Ghosts

Water Ghosts by Linda Collison,

15-year-old James McCafferty is about to board an old junk-rigged boat on a summer adventure therapy for problem teens. James' problem is he hears voices and sometimes sees people others don't see. He believes the boat to be possessed by malicious spirits intent on sinking the ship. Once at sea,ā€¦

Book cover of Boy Meets Boy

Michael Cart Author Of Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism

From my list on beautifully capturing gay teensā€™ lives and loves.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve been a full-time writer since 1994 and have so far published twenty-seven books, three of them with gay themes: My Fatherā€™s Scar, a gay coming-of-age novel and two about LGBTQ+ issues: Top 250 LGTBQ Books for Teens and The Heart Has Its Reasons, a history of queer literature. Iā€™ve been interested in this literature since I was a gay teen myself, because there were no YA books with queer characters then. I missed seeing my face in the pages of a good book and so I promised myself that when I became an adult. I would make sure there was an ample assortment for todayā€™s queer kids. And, guess what? Iā€™ve kept my promise!

Michael's book list on beautifully capturing gay teensā€™ lives and loves

Michael Cart Why did Michael love this book?

This whimsical and wonderful book is a modern classic of gay literature, one of the first upbeat gay novels with a happy ending, no less. It imagines a delightful, offbeat world where two boys can walk down the street hand in hand and no one cares; where the homecoming queen is the cross-dressing captain of the football team; where ā€“ well, you get the picture. Itā€™s an offbeat and, well, sanguine one. I love the innocence and generous-spirited nature of the book that sets it apart and delights readers while demonstrating that love is sometimes not smooth but always comes right in the end. Who could ask for anything better?   

By David Levithan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Boy Meets Boy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.

When Paul meets Noah, he thinks heā€™s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paulā€™s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His bestā€¦


Book cover of Like a Love Story

Aaron H. Aceves Author Of This Is Why They Hate Us

From my list on books about queer boys written by queer men.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, I never saw myself fully represented in fiction. I only glimpsed pieces of my younger self reflected in novels about queer or queer-coded characters, and so I made it my lifeā€™s mission to give teenage me exactly what he wanted. As a YA author whose queer male readers are not always young adults, the message I get the most is, ā€œI wish I had this as a teen.ā€ While I often feel this way as well, I still know that reading the five books I recommended (as well as my own) at any age is life-affirming for queer men like myself. 

Aaron's book list on books about queer boys written by queer men

Aaron H. Aceves Why did Aaron love this book?

This YA novel, despite taking place during the AIDS crisis, is ultimately filled with hope.

With three diverse perspectives, it draws us into a messy world of teenage exploration and discovery.

Before you ask, yes, it is humorous and heartbreaking, and it always reminds me that we are never alone in how we feel.

By Abdi Nazemian,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Like a Love Story as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Stonewall Honor Book * A Time Magazine Best YA Book of All Time

"A book for warriors, divas, artists, queens, individuals, activists, trend setters, and anyone searching for the courage to be themselves.ā€ā€”Mackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Gentlemanā€™s Guide to Vice and Virtue

Itā€™s 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing.

Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. Heā€™s terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows heā€™sā€¦


Book cover of Call Me by Your Name

Amy Neff Author Of The Days I Loved You Most

From my list on love stories that arenā€™t romances.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been a lover of love stories, yet it can be difficult to find ā€œlove storiesā€ that arenā€™t put into other boxes or arenā€™t genre romances. My debut is also a family drama that spans sixty years of the twentieth century, but itā€™s a love story at its core. Itā€™s sometimes classified as a romance because itā€™s a love story set on a beach. Still, it doesnā€™t quite fit into typical romance frameworks, which have characters meet and pulled apart before finally ending up back together. My book, instead, explores the reality of loving someone over decades and building a life together.

Amy's book list on love stories that arenā€™t romances

Amy Neff Why did Amy love this book?

This is one of those books I am in awe of. Deeply immersive, I had to be pried away from this story once I began. The writing is spectacular and an absolute masterclass on writing chemistry between characters and writing young love.

This book falls on nearly any top-five list of mine. It is truly stunning and heartbreaking in turn. (Sorry, this isnā€™t a very light list, is it??) But to me, what makes love stories powerful is all the ways that love can be lost, the truth that love can be fleeting, impossible to hold onto forever, even if you have spent a lifetime with the one you love, at some point we all have to say goodbye. This is what makes love so beautiful.

By AndrƩ Aciman,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Call Me by Your Name as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now a Major Motion Picture from Director Luca Guadagnino, Starring Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet, and Written by James Ivory

WINNER BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY ACADEMY AWARD
Nominated for Four Oscars

A New York Times Bestseller
A USA Today Bestseller
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
A Vulture Book Club Pick

An Instant Classic and One of the Great Love Stories of Our Time

Andre Aciman's Call Me by Your Name is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents' cliffside mansion on the Italian Riviera. Each is unpreparedā€¦


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Book cover of Palace of the Twelve Pillars

Palace of the Twelve Pillars by Christina Weigand,

The Peace Summit was in shambles, the prince kidnapped. When the rival king realizes he kidnapped the wrong prince, hostilities escalate. Loyalties to each other and country are tested for the twin princes of Crato, Joachim and Brandan.

Joachim, captive of King Waldrom, faces deception and betrayal as he strugglesā€¦

Book cover of Alan Cole Is Not a Coward

Chad Lucas Author Of Thanks a Lot, Universe

From my list on middle grade books to counter toxic masculinity.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was in school, I often struggled to figure out where I ā€œfitā€. Yeah, I know thatā€™s a common struggle among angsty teens. But as a biracial, bisexual kid who loved basketball and books, I didnā€™t feel totally at home in any of the stereotypical Breakfast Club-style categories that showed up even in many of the books I read: jock, nerd, prep, etc. Now, as a dad, coach, and writer, I know those boxes arenā€™t real. Iā€™m passionate about giving kids stories that challenge old ideas about what boys are ā€œsupposedā€ to be and help them explore the full range of who they can be.

Chad's book list on middle grade books to counter toxic masculinity

Chad Lucas Why did Chad love this book?

Between his cruel older brother and his rigid, overbearing father, Alan Cole doesnā€™t have it easyā€”especially when his brother discovers he has a crush on a boy. But with some help from his friends, Alan learns to stand up for himself and challenge his familyā€™s expectations. This is the kind of book I wish I could send back in time to my younger self, and I know a lot of kids will relate to Alanā€™s strugglesā€”and celebrate his triumphs.

By Eric Bell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Alan Cole Is Not a Coward as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Perfect for fans of Tim Federle and Gary Schmidt, this is a hilarious and poignant tale about the trials of middle school when youā€™re coming of ageā€”and coming out.

Alan Cole canā€™t stand up to his cruel brother, Nathan. He canā€™t escape the wrath of his demanding father, who thinks heā€™s about as exceptional as a goldfish. Andā€”scariest of allā€”he canā€™t let the cute boy across the cafeteria know he has a crush on him.

But when Nathan discovers Alanā€™s secret, his older brother announces a high-stakes round of Cole vs. Cole. Each brother must complete seven nearly impossible tasks;ā€¦


Book cover of All the Pretty Boys
Book cover of Boy Shattered
Book cover of Pride High

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