This post is sponsored by Penguin Random House Canada in honor of The Vinyl Diaries: Sex, Deep Cuts, and My Soundtrack to Queer Joy by Pete Crighton. Big hearted, funny, thoughtful, and wildly entertaining, The Vinyl Diaries is a celebration of sex, music and the discovery of our true selves.
Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | Indigo
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Children’s
Make Your Own Rainbow: A Drag Queen’s Guide to Color by Lil Miss Hot Mess and Olga de Dios Ruiz
Drag queens love to dance to their own beat, speak their minds, and let their best selves shine. They love all the colors of the rainbow—as well as all the colors beyond!
From scarlet, marigold, lemon, and emerald, to azure, periwinkle, Byzantium, and onyx, the world’s diverse range of colors allows drag queens and kings to be authentic and creative. And you, too, can use any color or hue to express yourself and your fierce imagination! Travel through a colorful, playful, and uplifting world with Drag Story Hour superstar Lil Miss Hot Mess and whimsical illustrator Olga De Dios in their latest inclusive picture book.
Middle Grade
Athlete is Agender ed. by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby
Athlete is agender. Athlete can mean anyone.
In a world where gender norms inform the rules of inclusion and safety for LGBTQ+ kids and adult professionals in sports, here is a groundbreaking collection that celebrates the affirming sense of community that comes from being a proud queer athlete.
Find your strength in…
- Adam Rippon’s unbelievable journey from figure-skating Olympic alternate to the first openly gay Olympic medalist in his sport.
- CeCé Telfer’s career as a trans track star and her unwavering commitment to run for the future freedom of trans athletes.
- em dickson’s relationship to eir gender identity and how sailing, a sport that doesn’t categorize athletes by gender, helped em embrace eir power and identity.
…and many other invaluable true stories.
Featuring testimonies by world-class athletes and award-winning children’s book authors, as well as profiles on culture-defining figures like Megan Rapinoe and Billie Jean King, this incredible collection revels in the achievements of strong, passionate, and determined queer athletes across every age, level, and field of sports. Athlete Is Agender is a lifesaving book not to be missed.
Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N
Young Adult
One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller
Grace Woodhouse has left a lot behind. She used to have a great friend group, an amazing girlfriend, and a right foot set to earn her a Division I football scholarship—before she came out as trans. As her senior year at Pageland High begins, Grace struggles to find her place in early transition, new social circles, and a life without football (especially since people keep telling her they can’t believe that she of all people is trans – whatever that means).
But when her skills as the best kicker in the state prove to be vital, her old teammates beg her to come out of retirement, dragging her back into a sport—into a way of life—she thought had turned its back on her forever. The thing is, there’s no playbook for girls like her in the world of football. And when a chance meeting cracks the door to college football back open, she has to decide how much of herself she’s willing to give up for the game she loves.
From exciting debut talent Victoria Zeller comes One of the Boys, a coming-of-age story with an unforgettable voice for the queer jocks, the straight theater kids, and everyone in between.
Summer Girls by Jennifer Dugan
From the author of Some Girls Do comes a YA sapphic romance about two girls from different sides of the tracks.
Cass has a rule about dating summer girls—just say no. Every year, her idyllic beach town is flooded with summer girls, the obnoxious daughters of the rich, who stay in their families’ summer homes, sail their yachts, and generally make things unbearable for townies like Cass.
Birdie is the ultimate summer girl. She’s the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer dad and a social media influencer mom, and this summer Birdie happens to be in big trouble for accidentally crashing her boyfriend’s very expensive car.Birdie’s punishment is to spend the summer with her father at the beach—but it won’t be a vacation. He’s enlisted the help of Cass, whose dad works for him, to keep Birdie on the straight and narrow, including getting her a job at the public beach where Cass lifeguards.At first the two despise each other. Birdie doesn’t want a babysitter, and Cass doesn’t want to be one. But as the season heats up, Birdie surprises Cass time and again, and before long both girls can’t help but wonder: Are some rules made to be broken?
Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | Northshire
When Love Gives You Lemons by Steven Salvatore
Ever since he was a kid, Fielder Lemon’s large, opinionated Italian-American family has lived next to Ricky DeLuca and his large, opinionated Italian-American family. For almost as long, Fielder has known that he wants to marry Ricky one day. And he thought Ricky felt the same way-until Ricky breaks up with Fielder, saying he needs to figure out who he is on his own.
One year later, Fielder is asked to be one of the best men in his cousin’s destination wedding on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, but there’s a twist: his cousin is marrying Ricky’s sister. Fielder hasn’t talked to or seen Ricky once during the last entire, terrible year, but he hasn’t given up on his first love quite yet-and isn’t a wedding in an Italian lemon grove the perfect setting to rekindle their relationship? Except Ricky might have already moved on.
Now, Fielder has less than a week to win back Ricky’s heart while also trying not to ruin his cousin’s wedding. But if there’s one thing Fielder knows, it’s that when life gives you lemons, take a bite!
Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | The Village Bookstore
Get Real, Chloe Torres by Crystal Maldonado
When Chloe Torres plans the perfect summer to reunite her estranged BFFs—a cross-country road trip to see their favorite boy band!—there’s only one difficulty… getting them to actually go along for the ride.
Chloe Torres’ birthday has always marked the end of summer—but as she turns eighteen and prepares to leave for her freshman year of art school, it feels like the end of more than that. It’s the end of her adolescence, which means it’s time to leave the past behind… but can she really let go of the two estranged best friends she left there?
NOPE. Chloe decides to take one more shot at healing the friend breakup she’s always regretted: planning the bucket-list trip neither girl can say no to. She’s taken care of everything: the car, the hotels, and concert tickets to see their favorite boy band’s reunion show in Las Vegas—stage seats, so close they can fangirl right in front of the boys’ faces. But first, her ex-BFFs have to say yes.
And to say yes, they’d all have to be talking… which they haven’t done since Ramona kissed Chloe, and everything imploded.
But with some clever finagling (and some undignified begging) Chloe gets them all on board. Of course, being in a car together for two weeks brings back old feelings… a lot of old feelings… and soon enough, Chloe wants Sienna, Ramona wants Chloe, and everything is on fireeeee.
Learning to Fall by Peach Morris
Eighteen-year-old Casey feels stuck; while her friends are all going to university, she’s taking a gap year at home to care for her disabled mother. Then she walks in on her boyfriend blatantly cheating on her. Surprisingly, though, she’s not as heartbroken as she thinks she should be. And when a chance encounter with the young woman in question, the very pretty and confident Imogen, includes both an apology and a tentative extension of friendship, Casey realizes her life may be about to change.
Imogen convinces Casey to tag along to a roller derby bout, and there Casey finds herself surrounded by fearless women and nonbinary teammates who aren’t afraid to speak their minds ―and body slam each other. Her friends and family aren’t so sure about all the injuries, but she doesn’t care; there’s something magic about this game and this team. Plus, she soon finds herself nursing a serious crush on her magnetic new friend. Can Casey become a brand-new, stronger, more confident version of herself? And will dating a teammate lead to a winning season, or total heartbreak?
Death in the Cards by Mia K. Manansala
Danika Dizon is a natural problem-solver. Thanks to her private investigator mom and mystery author dad, she’s equipped with the skills to offer guidance to anxious classmates who come to her for a tarot reading between classes. For a price, of course.
But when one of her clients vanishes shortly after they’re dealt a death card, the girl’s younger sister Gaby begs Danika to figure out what went wrong. Danika takes on the case, thinking it’s the perfect way to prove to her parents that she should be an official investigator in the family’s detective agency.
What starts off as a compelling challenge quickly devolves into something darker as Danika and Gaby peel back layer after layer of the secret life the missing girl has been living. A life that those involved would do anything to keep from being revealed…
The Duke Steals Hearts and Other Body Parts by Elias Cold
Wielding a magic that allows him to pop off limbs, con-artist Phyllis ransoms body parts to make a living. At least until his cold heart is moved when a mark claims his sister, Adeline, was taken.
Adeline is not the only missing girl in their seedy city, and Phyllis’ best chance to unravel the mystery is to become Lord Phillip of Rabbiton and strike a deal with the ambitious madame, Adeline’s former employer, for info on his leads. As a duke, Phillip finds the girls who are not dead―but undead. And when the madame finds out, she twists Phillip into helping her with her plans to rule the city.
To cement his future as a duke, save his new family of mostly-dead girls, and earn Adeline’s affection, Phillip will have to stop the madame and discover the depths of his magic―before his own lies destroy him.
Blades of Furry by Emily Erdos and Deya Muniz
Enter the high-stakes world of battle skating in this rivals-to-lovers romance based on the spectacularly popular webcomic—now with an exclusive new bonus story!
Emile is an up-and-coming rookie in battle skating, a sport that combines the grace of figure skating with the high impact sparring of martial arts. Just as he is gearing up to fight in his next duel at the championships, there’s a change in the lineup! To his horror, he’ll have to face off against reigning champion Radu, the best battle skater in the world (and Emile’s longtime skating idol). There’s no way he can win!
During a pivotal moment in their match, however, Emile discovers Radu’s most closely guarded secret…and it’s a bloody one. This could destroy Radu’s career for good, but when feelings start to develop between them both on and off the rink, will this rivalry turn into something more…?
The Divide that Binds Us by Michelle J (May 16th)
In a world where dragons are the life source, their sudden mysterious deaths slowly push Zeala into peril. When nineteen-year-old Alice Reid investigates the cause, she runs into members of a rival paramilitary organization for the first time. The encounter takes a violent turn, igniting Commander Rio Shackler’s curiosity for two reasons: Alice can summon a mythical being, and clues about the deaths conveniently point to her. With Rio’s mission to enforce dragon safety, he pursues Alice to eliminate a potential threat. The two clash, unaware of the other’s agenda, and unknowingly fueling their divided organizations.
As more dragons perish, the world withers from the depletion of its life force. Trees die, fires lose oxygen, grass dries out, plants wilt into black rot, and the water supply dwindles. Alice and Rio find themselves on opposite sides of the truth but with a common enemy that binds them. In order to work together, they must set aside their bickering, scheming, and contrasting personalities, but mutual loathing won’t be their only obstacle. Questionable deities, a nefarious cult, and corruption brewing in the heart of the monarchy threaten each step they take toward saving their world. If Alice and Rio can’t unravel the mystery in time, the feud between their organizations will be the least of their worries.
Adult
Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake
Once upon a time, Ramona Riley was a student at a prestigious art school, with dreams of landing in Hollywood as a costume designer to the stars. But after her father’s car accident, she had to quit and return to her small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, to help take care of her younger sister. Twelve years later, Ramona is still working at the town’s café, all but given up on her dream. But when a big-budget romantic comedy comes to Clover Lake to film, she wonders if this could be her chance. There’s only one problem—Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood’s favorite wild child—is the star.
Dylan Monroe has always lived an unconventional life, having famous rock icons for parents. But she wants to prove that she’s not some chaotic, talentless nepo baby, that she has actual skills, that she’s just a normal person. To do that, Dylan takes on a project at a charming lake town—she even works at the town’s café (very quaint), shadowing a local waitress there (very cute), and asks her to take Dylan around to do Normal People Things.
But Dylan soon realizes it’s not just some small-town waitress she’s getting to know—Ramona Riley is someone she’s met before, someone who remembers her even more vividly. Before long, however, reality hits them, and both women must decide if the spark between them can fan the flames of their individual dreams, or if it will extinguish their light.
A Sharp Endless Need by Marisa Crane
Star point guard Mack Morris’s senior year of high school begins with twin cataclysms: the death of her father and the arrival of transfer student Liv Cooper. On the court, Mack and Liv discover an exhilarating, game-winning chemistry; off the court, they fall into an equally intoxicating more-than-friendship that is out of bounds for their small Pennsylvania town in 2004, and especially, for Liv’s conservative mother. As Mack’s desire and grief collide with drugs, sex, and the looming college signing deadline, she is forced to reckon with the disconnects between her past and her future—and fight for the life she wants for herself, whether or not Liv will be on the court beside her.
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
“Look at you, eating magic like you’re one of us.”
Doctor Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood School and one of the most powerful magicians in England. Her days consist of meetings, teaching A-Level Invocation to four talented, chaotic sixth formers, more meetings, and securing the school’s boundaries from demonic incursions.
Walden is good at her job―no, Walden is great at her job. But demons are masters of manipulation. It’s her responsibility to keep her school with its six hundred students and centuries-old legacy safe. And it’s possible the entity Walden most needs to keep her school safe from―is herself.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to alter Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.
Slaying You by Michelle Gagnon
This is the sequel to Killing Me
Grace and Amber’s first encounter was anything but ordinary—they bonded over being stalked by the same psychopath. After narrowly escaping that ordeal they went their separate ways, determined to get back to their lives.
Surprise: neither of them is very good at being “normal.” Despite their best efforts, they both feel an irresistible pull toward the dark side.
So when they reunite for a Vegas wedding and discover that an even more dangerous killer is targeting their friends, it’s time to get the gang back together. Grace and Amber have outrun a murderer before . . . but can they do it again?
Dream a Little Dream by Melissa Brayden
Savanna Potter is having an off year. Her aunt died, and the woman of her dreams, who had agreed to meet her on the suspension bridge one year after their first amazing date, stood her up. Then, in news that rocks her, it turns out the dad she knew isn’t her biological father. So, who the hell is? Savanna, angry and adrift, can’t believe it when Dr. Kyle Remington, the very woman who left her standing on that bridge like a fool, shows up in Dreamer’s Bay.
Not only has Kyle landed in Savanna’s small town, but she’s managed to charm every other person who lives there. Savanna has no plans to forgive and forget. There’s nothing between them anymore, even if Kyle’s sparkling blue eyes and shiny dark hair make Savanna’s pesky knees go weak. Life is too complicated for second chances. Or is it?
His Every Move by Max Walker
This is the second book in the Stonewall Investigations: Midnight series
Elijah Grant is being watched.
And Detective Benji Morrison may be the only one who can save him.
When the popular adult content creator starts receiving disturbing messages and signs someone is tracking his every move, he turns to Stonewall Investigations for help. That brings him to Detective Benji Morrison—quiet, intense, and all too eager to take the case.
Benji claims he’s there to protect Elijah. And he is.
But he’s not telling the whole truth.
As the stalker’s threats escalate, Elijah finds himself drawn to the man assigned to keep him safe. Their chemistry is electric, their connection immediate—but something about Benji feels… familiar. Like this isn’t the first time their paths have crossed.
And the closer they get, the more dangerous things become. Because as secrets unravel and obsession turns deadly, Elijah must decide: Is he falling for his protector… or trusting the wrong man with his life?
Buy it: Amazon
Enemies by Nature by Jae
Fake dating your worst enemy—what could possibly go wrong? An enemies-to-lovers, paranormal lesbian romance that proves love can outfox anyone.
Ever since shape-shifters revealed their existence to the world, tensions between humans and Wrasa have been dangerously high. To improve their public image, the Wrasa council comes up with a bold plan: a fake relationship between one of their own and Faith MacAllister, the human daughter of their most vocal enemy.
Tala Peterson, an aloof fox-shifter with the attitude of an alpha wolf, is anything but thrilled to pose as Faith’s mate. She doesn’t trust her one bit—and rightfully so, as Faith has her own agenda. Their flirty banter is strictly for show, and if Tala finds Faith’s scent annoyingly irresistible, it’s only because of the mate scent their scientists concocted.
But when the wolf pack that raised Tala insists she bring her new mate home for a visit, the fake lovers are forced to not only share a bed but also to confront old prejudices. Soon, Faith faces a difficult choice: Should she keep spying on the Wrasa for her father, or can she trust Tala and her kind?
Enemies by Nature is the first novel of a two-book saga that concludes with Shifting Nature. While part of Jae’s shape-shifter series, they can be read independently of previous books.
Buy it: Ylva
To Broadway by Maurane Mazars
A young dancer in postwar Europe tries to seize his dreams and become a Broadway performer.
Germany, April 1957. Uli is a modern dance student at the prestigious Folkwang University of the Arts who will do anything to pursue his dream of becoming a famous Broadway dancer. But Uli’s dream and his energetic, outgoing personality hardly fit the melancholy culture of postwar Europe.
During a fateful trip to Berlin, Uli meets Anthony, a young American dancer. The attraction is immediate, and Anthony convinces Uli to move to New York to try his luck on Broadway. The young men part ways, and Uli is inspired to pack his bags and embark on an adventure.
Will Uli be able to seize his dreams in New York City? Or is he just one of the many young artists doomed to find a disappointing reality check in the Big Apple?
Grand Slam Romance 3: Farewell to Babes by Emma Oosterhouse and Ollie Hicks
This is the third and final book in the Grand Slam Romance graphic novel series
In Grand Slam Romance: Farewell to Babes, softball’s favorite throuple, Mickey, Astra, and Wolfgang have finally given in to their undeniable attraction: but it is true love or just temporary lust?
Wolfgang’s ready to go public with the relationship, Mickey’s still sorting out their feelings, and Astra has conveniently peaced out on a mysterious eurotrip that she neglected to inform her partners about. Between Berlin and Belle City, magic and havoc follow these lovebirds wherever they go—but in pursuit of love, they’re going to swing for the fences.
Non-Fiction
So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color by Caro De Robertis
From the acclaimed novelist, a first-of-its-kind, deeply personal, and moving oral history of a generation of trans and gender nonconforming elders of color—from leading activists to artists to ordinary citizens—who tell their own stories of breathtaking courage, cultural innovations, and acts of resistance.
So Many Stars knits together the voices of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and two-spirit elders of color as they share authentic, intimate accounts of how they created space for themselves and their communities in the world. This singular project collects the testimonies of twenty elders, each a glimmering thread in a luminous tapestry, preserving their words for future generations—who can more fully exist in the world today because of these very trailblazers.
De Robertis creates a collective coming-of-age story based on hundreds of hours of interviews, offering rare snapshots of ordinary life: kids growing up, navigating family issues and finding community, coming out and changing how they identify over the years, building movements and weathering the AIDS crisis, and sharing wisdom for future generations. Often narrating experiences that took place before they had the array of language that exists today to self-identify beyond the gender binary, this generation lived through remarkable changes in American culture, shaped American culture, and yet rarely takes center stage in the history books. Their stories feel particularly urgent in the current political moment, but also remind readers that their experiences are not new, and that young trans and nonbinary people today belong to a long lineage.
Love in Exile by Shon Faye
Love is supposedly attainable for us all. But for most people, especially women, success with “love”—the yardstick we use to measure our value across romance, parenthood, sex, religion, and friendship—can feel out of reach, an experience frequently ascribed to a personal failing. This sense of unworthiness is, according to Shon Faye, “a form of exile: an intentional, punitive banishment that serves political ends.” Faye, a trans woman in her thirties, has felt isolated from love for as long as she can remember. So after the devastation of her first heartbreak, she figured it was time to find out why.
The subsequent investigation, Love in Exile, boldly reframes love’s elusiveness as a collective question. Conversationally frank and intellectually ambitious, these eight voice-driven essays unpack the norms governing love in our time with the insight of a shrewd outsider. Here, Faye examines her breakups with cis men alongside lessons from Lana Del Rey and Alain de Botton, explores the lovelessness that fueled her time as an addict, tackles the relationship between feminine self-worth and motherhood, and finally attempts to discover genuine self-acceptance.
The result is a dive into universal, deeply felt questions about love, reframed through a radical, revolutionary perspective. Written with the humor and rigor that made Faye an internationally bestselling writer, Love in Exile is a thrilling reckoning with love in our time.
The Vinyl Diaries: Sex, Deep Cuts, and My Soundtrack to Queer Joy by Pete Crighton
Pete Crighton came of age in the early/mid 1980s in the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Growing up in Toronto, he was terrified that his friends and schoolmates would find out that he was “different” at a time when being gay felt like a death sentence. He hid who he was as best he could but was still on the receiving end of name-calling and taunts in the school halls. His only comfort was music; the songs a balm to his painful adolescence.
As a teenager, Crighton began curating a massive music library and would go to concerts as often as possible. At that time, queer culture was still closeted. Elton John, Freddie Mercury, and Boy George all refused to come out as gay during their career highs. How was a generation to make sense of being queer when no high-profile artists were championing the movement? Struggling to make sense of his sexuality and his place in the in the world, the fear of the disease ultimately stifled Crighton as a sexual being. Gay, but afraid to explore what it meant to be so, he took what he thought was a safe path and entered into two long-term monogamous relationships, both doomed to failure. Finally, in his early 40s, Crighton was determined to banish all of his fears and start to live his queer life to the fullest.
The Vinyl Diaries is the story of Pete Crighton’s mid-life sexual awakening. From one-night trysts to surprising friendships that are rare within app hook up culture, Crighton is honest and unapologetic as he chronicles the pursuit of his erotic desires. What makes the book so unique is that each new connection and lover is linked to an artist, song, or album from his vast collection and backdrops the stories Crighton tells about his life. Kate Bush, the B52s, Prince, The Smiths, Yoko Ono, and Stevie Nicks are just a few of the artists who provide an extraordinary soundtrack to Crighton’s adventures.
Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | Indigo
Walk Like a Girl by Prabal Gurung
Walk Like a Girl is the story of a queer boy who yearned for a world beyond the confines of prejudice he experienced growing up in Nepal and India. He came to New York, a hopeful immigrant lured by the siren song of the American Dream, only to encounter pernicious discrimination as he rose within the glossy world of New York high society and high fashion. Chronicling his rise to success as a fashion designer, Prabal reveals the inner workings of this beautiful, treacherous, rarefied world—and what it takes to survive.
With brutal honesty, Prabal takes us on a journey from Nepal to New York, and from the harrowing experiences that shaped him to his inspiring, hard-won ascent to the designer he is today, dressing American icons like Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and Kamala Harris.
Walk Like a Girl is also an ode to Prabal’s mother, Durga Rana, whose unwavering love and support gave him the courage to be unapologetically himself. To understand that the things people wanted to shame out of him were, paradoxically, his superpowers.
A defiant anthem for the soul, Walk Like a Girl is an invitation to rewrite your story. To shatter the mold into which society has tried to cast you. When we learn to embrace the power of vulnerability, the beauty of imperfection, and the infinite possibilities within each of us, we begin to see the extraordinary power within ourselves, waiting to be unleashed.
Stop! I have only two eyes I can’t read that many books LMAO