PRISMATIC READS
Inspired by the Open Agenda program at Savoy, this is our Gay it Forward program. Prismatic Reads is both a selection of books that have been pre-purchased for anyone to take home and also an opportunity for customers with extra funds to help increase access to queer literature for young readers. Prismatic Reads focuses on LGBTQIA+ books for YA and Middle-Grade readers, but queerness is intersectional, and so are the titles donated.
Looking for a way to give back?
1. Choose a book you'd like to donate
2. Purchase as usual
3. Let the bookseller know it's for Prismatic Reads OR, if you're ordering online, write in the comment section that this is for Prismatic Reads
4. Know you've provided a book for someone in need to take home
5. Feel extra super-duper rainbow-y
Looking to get a book?
Head to the Young Adult Section and select one of the Prismatic Reads Cards on display to redeem at the main register! You don't have to explain to anyone or give a reason, though we're always happy to help you pick!
What if I’m not out?
We understand that not everyone wants to or can safely be out in their community or spaces. If you’re looking to take a book home discreetly, just ask one of our staff members and we’ll pick something out for you and bag it up - we can even specifically grab you a title that doesn’t look outwardly queer.
The following titles are bookseller recommendations but you may purchase any queer book of your choosing. We recommend browsing our curated LGBTQ+ Lists. Just make sure to write "for Prismatic Reads" in the order comments field at checkout!
A fairy tale for any age, Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
An IndieBound Bestseller
“Squad is a fast-paced and feminist horror story for every girl who’s ever felt like prey, and asks how far a girl should go to hunt the hunters.”—Laura Ruby, author of National Book Award Finalist Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All
Now a Netflix animated film!
Nimona is the New York Times bestselling graphic novel sensation from ND Stevenson, based on his beloved and critically acclaimed web comic. Kirkus says, “If you’re going to read one graphic novel this year, make it this one.”
From the author of The Witch Boy trilogy comes a graphic novel about family, romance, and first love.
Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives.
A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time
A Stonewall Honor Book
A Reese's Book Club YA Pick
Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town.
Stonewall Book Award Winner * A Time Magazine Best YA Book Of All Time
A fierce coming-of-age verse novel about identity and the power of drag, from acclaimed poet and performer Dean Atta. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, and Kacen Callender.
A Stonewall Honor Book * A Time Magazine Best YA Book of All Time
From Stonewall and Lambda Award–winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.
Now a major motion picture starring Max Pelayo, Reese Gonzales, and Eva Longoria!
A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)
This Printz Honor Book is a “tender, honest exploration of identity” (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about family and friendship.
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison.
Winner of the National Book Award
A New York Times Bestseller
"The queer romance we’ve been waiting for.”—Ms. Magazine
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
"The perfect kind of story for our current era."—Hypable
Featured in Vulture’s "11 Books to Read If You Already Miss Yellowjackets"!
Debut author Tobly McSmith delivers a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy who’s going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as she’s counting down the days until graduation. Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Becky Albertalli, and Jenny Han.
*INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
*INSTANT #1 INDIE BESTSELLER*
*INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER*
From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need...
Fans of Far from the Tree, We Are Okay and Emergency Contact will love this epic, utterly unforgettable contemporary novel about a lost shipwreck, a missing piece of family history, and weathering the storms of life.
The Larkin family isn't just lucky—they persevere.
Elliot doesn't want to fight, keeps saying the wrong thing, and is definitely the grouchiest human in fantasyland.
A New York Times Bestseller!
An Instant Indie Bestseller!
A dark, twisty modern fairytale where three sisters discover they are not exactly all that they seem and evil things really do go bump in the night.
King Arthur as you've never seen her! This bold, sizzling YA novel reimagines the Once and Future King as a teenage girl determined to save the universe from an evil curse. My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start. I've been chased my whole life.
A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's New York Times-bestselling paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys, described by Entertainment Weekly as "groundbreaking."
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.