2025 is delivering an incredible variety of books that feature LGBTQIA+ characters through a whole host of subgenres. Whether you’re looking for a sci-fi adventure where a spaceship must take down Dracula, a historical romance set at an underground gay club, or a murder mystery featuring an SAT tutor way out of her depth, there’s sure to be a book on this list that will grab your attention. Cheers to reading queer all year!
Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan
A trans woman in a rut dives into a new relationship in the hopes it may change the discontentment she’s been feeling in this novel about loss, relationships, and forgiveness.
Summerhouse by Yiğit Karaahmet
Yiğit Karaahmet’s debut thriller, where the arrival of a new neighbor tests a couple’s 40-year relationship, is pitched as “The Birdcage as done by Highsmith”—what more do you need to know?
Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez
An asexual librarian leverages her viral video about being a late bloomer into a scavenger hunt where the prize is her first kiss, but she starts to regret the plan when her crush seems to reciprocate her feelings.
Don’t Sleep with the Dead by Nghi Vo
This spring brings with it a standalone companion novella to Nghi Vo’s Great Gatsby reimagining. As World War II looms, Nick Carraway realizes a ghost has come back to haunt him.
Leaving the Station by Jake Maia Arlow
Two teens seeking answers about their uncertain futures meet on a cross-country train from New York to Seattle and together explore gender, identity, sexuality, and what the future could hold.
Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch
In this debut thriller, an SAT tutor just trying to pay off her student debt ends up on the run after arriving at work one day to discover that her wealthy employers have been murdered.
These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa
Crow’s been in hiding ever since they survived the genocide that killed their people. But when their uncles are imprisoned, Crow risks everything to enter the Tournament of the Gods to save them.
Stag Dance by Torrey Peters
From the author of Detransition, Baby comes a collection of three short stories and a novella that explore gender, trans identity, and the way self-doubt can keep us from finding true happiness.
The Broposal by Sonora Reyes
Alejandro and Kenny have been best friends (and nothing more) since second grade but a proposal inspired by Alejandro’s need for a green card makes them question their true feelings.
Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
A spaceship whose passengers keep mysteriously dying puts together a motley crew of monsters (everything from a pharaoh to a werewolf) to take down Dracula in this epic space adventure.
The Queen Bees of Tybee County by Kyle Casey Chu
Kyle Casey Chu, one of the founding queens of Drag Story Hour, debuts with a middle-grade book about a young basketball player drawn to the glamorous world of southern beauty pageants.
The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill
A trans man is given the unique opportunity to revisit his younger self and explore the evolution of his identity when an enchanted bookstore flings him back in time to when he was just sixteen.
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
While attempting to survive the siege of Aymar Castle, three women are the only ones to question the sudden arrival of seemingly benevolent saviors in this medieval horror novel.
To Sketch a Scandal by Jess Everlee
Historical romance fans will be excited to return to The Curious Fox, an underground queer club, to witness barkeep Warren Bakshi fall for a man his boss has forbidden him from pursuing.
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
Emily Tesh returns with a dark academia fantasy about one of England’s most powerful magicians: Doctor Walden, Director of Magic at Chetwood School and the one responsible for keeping demons at bay.
If We Survive This by Racquel Marie
In this YA horror novel, Flora and her older brother Cain are fighting for survival as they attempt to outrun zombies and make it to their family cabin in Northern California.
The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson
A ghost-hunting immortal weary of eternal life discovers something worth living for in this cozy Ohio-set fantasy about facing the darkness in your past and embracing your chosen family.
Dead in the Frame by Stephen Spotswood
When a wealthy crime-obsessed eccentric is killed in 1940s New York, suspicious eyes turn to detective Lillian Pentecost. It’s up to Willowjean “Will” Parker to find the real killer and clear her boss’ name.
Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert
Fans of Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus romance series have been eagerly awaiting the next installment, which finds Olympus at war and Icarus at the mercy of his captor Poseidon.
The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Older
If you’re craving a cozy mystery set in space, Malka Older has you covered. When her cousin is accused of plagiarism, Pleiti steps up to investigate and uncovers a surprising and deadly plot.
One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller
Grace thought her football days were behind her after coming out as trans, but when her skills are needed for the team’s season, she grapples with finding her place in the sport as Grace.
These Heathens by Mia McKenzie
Seventeen-year-old Doris finds her eyes opened to the potential of being who you are and chasing what you want when a trip to Atlanta in 1960 puts her into the path of a queer Black community.
A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell
Joanna Lowell returns this summer with another queer historical romance! This one features an archaeologist who teams up with her childhood rival to hunt for a hidden treasure trove of Viking gold.
Simplicity by Mattie Lubchansky
Horror and graphic novel fans won’t want to miss this tale of a trans scholar who ends up uncovering something sinister after being tasked with conducting an anthropological survey.
Pride or Die by CL Montblanc
CL Montblanc’s comedic YA mystery centers around members of an LGBTQ+ club who are framed for the attempted murder of the school’s head cheerleader and have to clear their names.
Which of these books is getting bumped to the top of your TBR?
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