#tobly mcsmith

[transbookoftheday]

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

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.

Pony plans to fly under the radar this year. Tired of getting too much attention at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s hoping for a fresh start as a Hillcrest High senior. But it’s hard to live your best life with the threat of exposure lurking around every corner.

Georgia is beginning to think there’s more to life than cheerleading. She just wants to keep a low profile until graduation … which is why she promised herself that dating is a nonstarter for the foreseeable future.

Then, on the very first day of classes, the new guy and the cheerleader lock eyes…

In this moving, honest debut from Tobly McSmith, one transformative relationship opens the eyes of a whole town—and opens the door for Pony and Georgia to celebrate their truths, even when it feels hard.

[al-sapore-di-sigarette]

"«It's dark and sad, but beautiful.»

«Like me,» she says."

Act Cool — Tobly McSmith

[readingtillmidnight]

Queer book haul!!

I went book thrifting yesterday and picked up all these books! Can't wait to read them!!

YA contemporary

Let's Talk About Love - Claire Kann

Black ace FMC, Japanese-American LI, MF romance

Stay Gold - Tobly McSmith

Trans MMC, cis FMC, MF romance

We Are Okay - Nina LaCour

Sapphic MC

Exploration of grief

Fantasy

The Brilliant Death - Amy Rose Capetta (YA)

Nonbinary MC, genderfluid LI, all latine cast

Book one of a duology

Teo is a mafia don's daughter, who uses her magic to turn her family's enemies into decorative objects. When her father is poisoned, she must travel to the capital disguised as a boy in order to save his life.

Infinity Son - Adam Silvera (YA)

Gay rep

Book one of the Infinity Cycle trilogy

Urban fantasy

Two brothers live in a world filled with specters who violently steal the essence of magical creatures.

The Sunbearer Trials - Aiden Thomas (YA)

Trans boy MC, all latine cast, MM rivals to lovers romance

Book one of The Sunbearer Duology

Every decade, ten semidioses are selected to compete in the Sunbearer Trials, where the loser will be sacrificed to Sol. When Teo is unexpectedly chosen, he will have to compete against more powerful opponents in order to survive.

Amberlough - Lara Elena Donnelly (Adult)

MLM

Book one of The Amberlough Dossier trilogy

Le Carré meets Cabaret in this debut spy thriller as a gay double-agent schemes to protect his smuggler lover during the rise of a fascist government coup

YA Horror

These Fleeting Shadows - Kate Alice Marshall

Sapphic MC

Haunted house story

In order to receive her inheritance, including her ancestral home Harrowstone Hall, Helen must live on the grounds of Harrowstone for one full year or be left with nothing.

Blood Countess - Lana Popović

Sapphic MC

First book of the Lady Slayers series

Toxic lesbian vampires???

Anna works as a scullery maid for the Countess Elizabeth Báthory but is elevated to the position of chambermaid when Elizabeth takes a liking to her. And then the murders

Historical romance

Something Fabulous - Alexis Hall

Demisexual MC, MM romance

Grumpy x sunshine

A delightfully witty romance featuring a reserved duke who’s betrothed to one twin and hopelessly enamoured of the other.

[rubber-bathtub-toaster]

9 TBR Books for 2025

Was tagged by @wryn-polaris so here are 9 books (in alphabetical order) I'm hoping read (or finish reading) in 2025:

I don't really have many followers/people I follow/mutuals, but I'm tagging @kay417 to do this, too!

[thisisablogforyouthlit]

Obie Is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar

This sporty contemporary middle-grade book tells the story of Obie, a transgender boy trying to make it to the Junior Olympics for swim while also navigating transphobia, friendship struggles, and young love. It's full of love and written with genuine care for the characters.

I picked up this book secondhand a while ago and thought it would be a great option to read for a queer middle-grade novel. Many books have characters who are queer and the plot is separate from their identity, but this book is very much about Obie's transness, hence why I decided to read it to fulfill the LGBTQIA+ category.

The style and language in this book are perhaps the most important element of the novel. Slurs are used against Obie and his friends and it is never seen as a normal thing to do and is always taken seriously and handled properly. There is even an instance where a fellow teammate of Obie's explains to Obie and another friend where a specific slur comes from and why it is significantly worse than they think. Everything is explained and handled with such care to where the intended audience of younger children have a clear understanding of what is okay and not okay when discussing queer, and specifically trans, people. Having this language as a young person is important, regardless if they are queer or not, and the style in which it is delivered is poignant and clearly by using the proper terms.

There is a clear conflict throughout this book with Obie's transness being an issue to his transphobic ex-coach and ex-friend, who are father and son. Obie is physically attacked by his ex-friend, Clyde, while in the bathroom and it causes multiple issues following this day: Obie needing stitches and not being able to swim for weeks, Clyde's expulsion making him more aggravated, and Obie's other friend, Lucy, not really listening or paying attention to him. Obie knows he is right and that Clyde and his old coach are wrong, but he can't help but question why his identity is such an issue and whether or not things are worth it. It's an engaging conflict that is both internal and external, with Obie constantly thinking about himself but also how he should confront people about his transness and when is a good time to.

This is a well-rounded piece of fiction despite it heavily involving the question of Obie's identity and how he fits into the world. There is the budding romance between Obie and his favorite restaurant's new employee, Charlie. There's obviously the sports element with Obie competitively swimming in multiple tournaments. There's the troubles of adolescence and trying to grow up but also be a kid at the same time. There's so much packed into these 319 pages with additional resources and readings for those who wish to know more about this kind of story and identity.

I gave this book 4.25 stars on StoryGraph for its compelling story about a trans athlete full of the messiness and hilarity of adolescence and growing up. While it's a YA book, Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith is a good recommendation in which follows Pony, a transmascuine teen attempting to blend in and stay stealth at his new school until he begins falling for a cheerleader.

References:

Bailar, S. (2021). Obie is man enough. Crown Books for Young Readers.

McSmith, T. (2020). Stay gold. HarperCollins.

[blossoms-and-petrichor]

love it when the novels start hitting too close to home, and i just keep adding more cathartic novels to my tbr. the god of small things by arundhathi roy. this winter by alice oseman, act cool by tobly mcsmith. once i get to the waves by virginia woolf and the silence that binds us by joanna ho i will be unstoppable (or curled up into a fetal position)

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Act Cool

Author: Tobly McSmith

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2021

Genres: fiction, LGBT+, contemporary, romance

Blurb: Aspiring actor August Greene just landed a coveted spot at the prestigious School of Performing Arts in New York. There's only one problem: his conservative parents won't accept that he's transgender, and to stay with his aunt in the city, August must promise them he won't transition. August is convinced he can play the part his parents want while acting cool and confident in the company of his talented new friends...but who is August when the lights go down? Where will he turn when the roles start hitting a little too close to home?

[bookaddict24-7]

•IG: @daylafm•

[ID: A photo of the book Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith. The book is flat on a wooden cutting board and it is surrounded by mini chocolate chip cookies, coffee beans, a beaded necklace, and a black cup. The cover features a transgender teenage boy sitting with a girl. The cover features this phrase: “Stay cool, Stay strong, Stay You.”]