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Hmm, so no failed love stories?

I would suggest the Russel Middlebrook trilogy. While there is failed love in the first book, it does get better in the second book. The trilogy consists of: Geography Club, Order of the Poison Oak, and SplitScreen.

While I haven't read it yet since I just got it yesterday, Alex Sanchez's upcoming book The God Box should be very good. It's about being gay and Christian, so there might be some sad bits, but maybe if you some time before giving in the list, or can add on to it later, I'll let you know how it is. It won't be out til October, so it's not like you can get it now, or ask others about it, lol.

I can't remember if it's sad or not, but Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan was a good book, from what I remember. So was his book Wide Awake.

The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson was VERY good too.

Do you just want GLBT recommendations?

I always forget about his book Getting It. lol, it's basically a book version of Queer Eye. The gay guy already has a boyfriend. It's a very good novel though. Very quick read too.

Also, forgot about Straight Road to Kylie by Nico Medina, and A Really Nice Prom Mess and Tale of Two Summers by Brian Sloan (the paperback of Prom Mess will be out in February 2008, btw, if you wanna just wait for that instead).

Non-GLBT books- I Was a Teenage Popsicle and Beyond Cool by Bev Katz Rosenbaum; any book by Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Lauren Barnholdt, Lauren Myracle, Melissa De La Cruz, Sonya Sones, Sarah Mlynowski, Kyra Davis, and Louise Rennison. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale, and Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe.

Ahaha, yeah ... I make a point of staying away from depressing books too. >.>; Well, my favorite gay romance novels by far would have to be W. A. Hoffman's Brethren: and Matelots: Raised by Wolves (though the first works well as a stand-alone too). It's about a young English nobleman who's sent off to 1667 Jamaica to establish a plantation for his father, but who, once there, instead joins a buccaneer crew and falls in love with a mysterious French madman. It is, as far as I can tell, historically accurate; set during, and in the midst of, Henry Morgan's raids on the Spanish. It has plenty of adventure and humour, great character interaction and great characters, and lots of fun philosophizing. But most of all, it's the most touching and beautiful love story I've ever read. It's definitely a book for adults though. The two main characters have both gone through majorly traumatic experiences (both physically and mentally) in their youth, and their helping each other overcome these experiences is a relatively big part of the story. And while it doesn't have many, what sex scenes there are are explicit. So I don't know. I loved these books to bits, but ... they may not be for you.

You can't possibly go wrong with Steve Kluger's Almost Like Being In Love, however. Very sweet and touching, and absolutely hillarious. Hell, even my mom and sister enjoyed it, and unlike me they have no special interest in gay romance.

Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series (Luck in the Shadows, Stalking Darkness, Traitor's Moon) is verreh, verreh good too. The romance here is set only as a background to the story, and it only gets started during the second book, not appearing in the first one at all, but even without the romance, it's a great fantasy with great characters.

I'd also recommend Jesse Hajicek's The God Eaters and Ann Somerville's Kei's Gift, but these you don't have to buy. They're available as books, yes, but you can also read them for free here and here.

I've read other gay romance books that I enjoyed, but these definitely left the biggest impressions. heart

As for non-gay-romancy stuff ... anything by Terry Pratchett is great, as are Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books, Naomi Novik's Temeraire and Lorna Freeman's Covenants.

lol, I love sex in books, mainly more the gay books though, hehe. whee I kinda hate it when it's not described explicitly, but I get over it. sweatdrop It's so much fun to read, and to imagine.

And I can't believe I forgot to mention Terry Pratchett! Amazing, hilarious writer.

Also, if you don't mind non-fiction, Dave Barry and Sarah Vowell have some funny books out. Dave's are completely funny while Sarah's are more historically based but are still pretty funny. She makes history interesting.