Book Releases: Ownvoices M/M books of July-December 2021

Specific labels may vary but all the books in this post have achillean main characters & are written by achillean authors. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be reading m/m books which aren’t, roughly speaking, ownvoices. Rather, a place to celebrate the few that are.

Of course, I’m only human, so if you spot any mistakes or missing titles, let me know!

See also: ownvoices m/m books of January-June 2021, of January-June 2020 & of July-December 2020.

JULY

Alec by William Di Canzio (gay mc)
Bolla by Pajtim Statovci, trans. by David Hackston (gay mc)
Impacted by Benji Carr (gay mc)
Hellspawn by Richard Amos (m/m relationship)
Flash Fire by T. J. Klune (gay mc with ADHD, bi li, m/m relationship, lesbian side characters)

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass (Black gay mc, Black gay li, gay side characters)
The Splinter King by Mike Brooks (m/m relationship, lesbian & trans characters)
The Dangerous Kingdom of Love by Neil Blackmore (gay mc) tw rape, grooming, abuse, manipulation, murder
Enquanto eu não te encontro by Pedro Rhuas (m/m relationship)
The Rebellious Tide by Eddy Boudel Tan (gay mc)

The Root of Everything & Lightning by Scott Alexander Hess (gay mc)
Bloodline of the Ancients by Ian Madison Keller (trans achillean mc, m/m relationship)

AUGUST

Everything Together by Benjamin Klas (achillean parents)
Death Foretold by David S. Pederson (m/m relationship)
Busy Ain’t the Half of It by Frederick Smith & Chaz Lamar Cruz (m/m relationship)
An Unexpected Kind of Love by Hayden Stone (m/m relationship)
Black Boy Joy ed. by Kwame Mbalia (short stories)

Kiss the Scars on the Back of my Neck by Joe Okonkwo (gay mcs)
Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas (trans achillean mc, gay li) tw racism, transphobia, homophobia, misgendering *
Royal Fling by Rhys Everly (m/m relationship)
Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden (m/m relationship) 2021 is Aus release; UK/US in 2022

SEPTEMBER

Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson (m/m relationship)
Major Detours by Zachary Sergi (m/m relationship)
Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles (bi Black mc, bi li, m/m relationship, wlw side characters) tw racism, racial profiling, religious homophobia, parental abuse (verbal, emotional)
The Magician by Colm Tóibín (gay mc)
I Wished by Dennis Cooper (gay mc)

Under the Whispering Door by T. J. Klune (bi mc, Black gay li, mlm side characters)
Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo (achillean mc, bi li, bi trans side character, achillean side character, Black gay side character) tw gore, violence, blood, f slur, internalised homophobia, implied suicide, body horror, animal death, drug use
Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson (gay mc, achillean mc, m/m relationship, wlw side characters)
MENAFTER10 by Casey Hamilton (Black gay mc)
The Kindly Ones by Cliff James (m/m relationship)
Home Within Skin by Jem Zero (disabled bi trans mc, m/m relationship) tw disability/ableism, PTSD from past abuse, homelessness/classism/poverty, ghosting, bigotry

OCTOBER

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros (gay Jewish mc, gay li)
Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley (bi male mc, bi character) tw rape, physical & emmotional abuse, abusive relationship, gaslighting
Here’s To Us by Adam Silvera & Becky Albertalli (gay Jewish mc with ADHD, gay Puerto Rican mc, m/m relationship, achillean side character)
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Mexican American gay mc & li)
Trailer Park Trickster by David R. Slayton (gay mc)
Bury Me in Shadows by Greg Herren (gay mc)

NOVEMBER

Loyalty, Love, & Vermouth by Eric Peterson (m/m relationship)

DECEMBER

I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat by Christopher Gonzales (Puerto Rican bi & gay mcs)
Fresh Grave in Grand Canyon by Lee Patton (m/m relationship)
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich (gay Spanish American mc, bi mc with an eating disorder, m/m relationship) tw abusive parents, homophobia, drugs & alcohol use
Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel (gay mc)

* Please note that since this was posted, it has come to our attention that the book in question contains uncontested racism (e.g. having a South Asian character use the n-word without being called out, prioritising (white) transness above discussing the issues of racism that arise in the plot) and antisemitism (e.g. having the main antagonist be a rich Jewish girl who is often described as manly and hairy).

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