Every week, I round up the most exciting LGBTQ new releases this week for the Our Queerest Shelves newsletter. It used to be easy to keep up with the traditionally published queer books, but now I have an embarrassment of riches each week, and it’s gotten harder and harder to pick which to feature! I have at least 20 more queer books out this week that I’m also excited about, including the sapphic literary novel Cecilia by K-Ming Chang, the bisexual mystery series The Last to Pie (Pies Before Guys #3) by Misha Popp, and the M/M summer romance Nearlywed by Nicolas DiDomizio.
The new queer books out this week include an homage to 1950s lesbian pulp fiction, a young gay man’s steamy journey of self-discovery in 2000s New York City, two fathers-to-be on a road trip to their surrogate, an obsessive friendship between two women artists, short stories where “anonymous voices of queer native men converge amid violent eroticism,” a friends-to-rivals-to-lovers F/F bowling romance, an asexual love triangle involving a jealous haunted house, a queer sci-fi mystery that’s Knives Out in space with a Parasite twist, and more.
If you want to diversify your reading life with new queer books, queer book news, and recommendations for every reader under the rainbow, sign up for Our Queerest Shelves! You get updates on the most exciting new LGBTQ books out every Tuesday plus recommendations for queer books on a theme every Thursday and bonus queer book content for paid subscribers on the weekend. But enough self-promotion: let’s get into the new queer books out this week!
Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn (Sapphic Fiction)
I’m a big fan of lesbian pulp fiction — I even have a little collection of it. So, of course, I can’t wait to get my hands on this ode to lesbian pulp. Astrid is a failed writer who is dating Astrid, a grad student researching 1950s lesbian pulp, at the same time as she crushes on her vegan painter neighbor, Penelope. When Astrid unexpectedly gets a movie deal for her first book, the pressure has her spiraling into drugs and blackouts. This promises to be a melodramatic, sexy, satirical romp.
In Tongues by Thomas Grattan (Gay Fiction)
In this “steamy novel of self-discovery,” Gordon, a young man in 2001 moves from Minnesota to New York City to live his best gay life. He becomes a dog walker, which leads him to gallery owners Phillip and Nicola. He’s stunned by this wealthy couple’s life and desperately wants it for himself. He’s soon pulled into this whirlwind lifestyle, but his ambition threatens everyone around him.
The Bump by Sidney Karger (M/M Fiction)
Wyatt and Biz are expecting a child by surrogate in a couple of weeks. They plan to fly out to California before the due date to prepare, but there’s just one little problem…they’re completely panicking. Cracks have formed in their relationship, and now that the reality is here, they’re doubting their capability to be fathers. So they decide to go on an impromptu road trip to solidify their marriage before the baby arrives. What would go wrong?
Exhibit by R. O. Kwon (Sapphic Fiction)
Jin is lost, stalled out in her career as a photographer and her marriage to her college boyfriend. Then she meets Lidija, an injured world-class ballerina, and they are instantly drawn to each other. They stay up all night talking about art. Then Jin shares a secret: her family has a curse that she’s supposed to never speak about. Jin and Lidija become more and more intertwined, sparking new inspiration for Jin, but the curse could cost her everything. This one has been getting a ton of buzz!
Coexistence: Stories by Billy-ray Belcourt (Gay Short Stories)
From the author of A History of My Brief Body and A Minor Chorus comes a short story collection centering Indigenous people, including stories about queer Indigenous men. They explore dating apps, love, estrangement, prison, hauntings, and more.
The 7-10 Split by Karmen Lee (F/F Romance)
In childhood, Ava and Grace were best friends. Then, one confusing kiss changed everything. Now, as adults, they’re bitter rivals working at the same high school. Ava has been trying to convince their principal for years to have a school bowling team, and he finally relents…but on the condition that she coaches alongside Grace. Now, they have to lead the team to victory together in the next six months or the team will be dissolved. But close quarters are bringing up old feelings.
Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann (Asexual M/F Paranormal Romance)
From the author of Let’s Talk About Love and The Romantic Agenda comes another asexual romance, this time with a paranormal twist! Lucky is a parapsychologist whose interest in hauntings has distanced her from most people in her life. When a production company keeps having actors quit when they stay at the Hennessee House, Lucky offers her expertise. That’s where she meets Maverick, and the chemistry is intense. But Hennessee House wants her all to itself…
Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo (Queer Sci-Fi Mystery)
This is one of my most-anticipated releases of the month, so I’ll quote myself: I’m a simple reader: I hear “queer murder mystery in space,” and I add that book to my TBR. Space Habitat Altaire is a luxury space hotel that caters only to the most powerful and wealthy. It’s also where they go to angle to be accepted into the Mars colony — Earth is dying. As a 25-year class reunion takes place on board, one guest searches for answers for the murder of his brother that took place in their senior year. But a much more present threat is stalking the hallways. This promises to be “Knives Out in Space with a Parasite twist.”
DC Pride: Love and Justice by Vita Ayala, Sina Grace, Sam Johns, Danny Lore, and Nicole Maines (LGBTQ Superhero Comics)
This year’s DC Pride anthology collects DC Pride #1, Mysteries of Love in Space #1, New Year’s Evil #1, and Young Monsters in Love #1. It features LGBTQ DC characters like Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Midnighter, Extraño, Batwoman, Aqualad, Alan Scott, Obsidian, Future State Flash, Renee Montoya, Pied Piper, and more.
It Ain’t Over Til the Bisexual Speaks: An Anthology of Bisexual Voices edited by Lois Shearing and Vaneet Mehta (Bisexual Essay Anthology)
While bisexuals make up the largest LGBTQ demographic, there still is not a ton of nonfiction specifically about bisexuality. This anthology of bisexual voices celebrates the “incredible multiplicity of bisexual identities.” Essays address religion, trans identities, fatness, literature, history, and more.
For more new releases, check out our New Books newsletter and the New Release Index — you can even filter by queer books!
Diversify your reading with new queer books, queer book news, and recommendations for every reader under the rainbow by signing up for the Our Queerest Shelves newsletter!
