Fall is fast approaching, which means it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a good queer book.
We compiled 15 exciting new releases from LGBTQ+ authors to get you through. From WLW (witches loving witches) rom-coms to investigative deep-dives, there’s a little something for every reader on this list.
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A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
Penguin Random HouseVictoria Lee’s junior novel technically dropped in August, so we’re cheating a bit here, but this spooky, atmospheric read is too perfect for fall to omit. It’s dark academia at its finest with lesbian protagonists so fascinatingly complex, you’ll be spellbound.
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The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Simon & SchusterThis charming read follows Dev Deshpande, an uber-successful reality dating show producer who accidentally falls for one of the contestants in his show’s cast. It’s giving Red, White, & Royal Blue meets The Bachelor.
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Sassy Planet: A Queer Guide to 40 Cities, Big and Small by David Dodge, Nick Schiarizzi, and Harish Bhandari
PrestelSearching for gay reccos ahead of a post-vax vacation? Look no further than this elaborate, beautifully illustrated guidebook, which walks readers through queer hotspots in 40 cities around the world. (Just be sure to get tested for COVID-19 before you hit the road since cases and highly contagious new variants are on the rise.)
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Deep Sniff: A History of Poppers and Queer Futures by Adam Zmith
Repeater/Penguin Random HousePoppers. You know them, you love them, you routinely inhale them on the dance floor, but do you know where they come from? This deep-dive from British writer Adam Zmith traces the very queer history of poppers, from the drug’s origins in Victorian-era infirmaries to its popularization at gay sex clubs circa the 1970s.
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Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
Tor BooksSet in a reimagined purgatory, this highly anticipated novel unfolds a queer love story unlike any other.
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The Pursued and the Pursuing by AJ Odasso
Dartfrog BooksF. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterwork The Great Gatsby entered the public domain in January 2021, so it was only a matter of time before a queer retelling hit the market. This beautifully written novella from writer and poet AJ Odasso imagines an alternate ending where Jay Gatsby didn’t die and was instead nursed back to health by Nick Carraway, his gay lover-turned-life partner.
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The Care We Dream Of: Liberatory and Transformative Approaches to LGBTQ+ Health by Zena Sharman
Arsenal PulpThis stirring, genre-spanning anthology ponders what LGBTQ health care could — and should — look like. Contributing writers include Alexander McClelland and Zoe Dodd, jaye simpson, Kai Cheng Thom, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, and more.
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Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle
Greenwillow BooksThis stunning graphic novel was billed by SheReads as “Teen Wolf meets Gossip Girl.” Need we say more?
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Greedy: Notes From a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much by Jen Winston
Simon & SchusterThis debut essay collection from bisexual writer and humorist Jen Winston is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt. Come for the incisive analysis of bisexual representation in pop culture, and stay for the anecdotes from Winston’s adolescence that are so relatable, it almost hurts.
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Payback’s A Witch by Lana Harper
Penguin Random HouseWitches, sapphic romance, and a sleepy small town imbued with magic? This queer rom-com contains everything we want from a fall read.
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Loveless by Alice Oseman
ScholasticWriter, illustrator, and webcomic legend Alice Oseman couldn’t find a book that accurately represented her experience as an aromantic-asexual person, so she wrote her own. Loveless, a YA title, is her first prose novel to be published in the United States.
Hardcover edition out November 2
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Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League by Britni de la Cretaz and Lyndsey D’Arcangelo
Bold Type BooksThis nonfiction tome from sports journalists Britni de la Cretaz and Lyndsey D’Arcangelo tells the little-known story of the National Women’s Football League through extensive interviews with former players, many of whom are queer. (Back in the day, the league even recruited new players at lesbian bars!)
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You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson
Button PoetryIn their latest poetry collection, nonbinary poet Andrea Gibson invokes a complicated emotion so many of us now grapple with every day: grief.
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All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
MacmillanA queer, magical, Hunger Games-esque thriller with two all-star authors behind it, All of Us Villains will keep the spooky season vibes going long after Halloween.
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There Are Trans People Here by H. Melt
Haymarket BooksThis aptly titled poetry collection pays homage to the joy, love, and healing power of trans community.
