Tag Archives: Ben Kahn

Happy International Nonbinary Day 2023!

Happy International Nonbinary Day 2023! You know how we celebrate around here, so let’s get right to the books! (And of course, for more recs, check out past years’ posts!)

To Buy Now

Middle Grade

Jude Saves the World by Ronnie Riley

Jude Winters might be in over their head. Maybe. But they’ll never admit it.

They befriend the ex-popular girl, Stevie Morgan, create an all-ages safe space at their local library with their best friend, Dallas Knight, and come out as nonbinary to their grandparents.

When the club becomes an overnight success, friendships crumble, and their grandparents act like they’re stuck in the Stone Age, Jude fights to keep their world from tearing itself apart. But a twelve-year-old can only handle so much.

Buy it: Amazon | Indigo | B&N | Book Depository | Ella Minnow Children’s Bookstore

Jamie by L.D. Lapinski

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all.

As the friends’ efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don’t figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever.

Buy it: Amazon | Waterstones

Young Adult

Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Torre is an avid birder undergoing a gender identity crisis and grappling with an ever-growing list of fears.

Some, like Fear #6: Initiating Conversation, keep them constrained, forcing them to watch birds from the telescope in their bedroom. And, occasionally, their neighbors. When their gaze wanders from the birds to one particular window across the street, Bianca witnesses a creepy plague-masked murderer take their neighbor’s life.

Worse, the death is ruled a suicide, forcing Bianca to make a choice—succumb to their long list of fears (including #3 Murder and #55 Breaking into a Dead Guy’s Apartment), or investigate what happened.

Bianca enlists the help of their friend Anderson Coleman, but the two have more knowledge of anime than true crime. As Bianca and Anderson dig deeper into the murder with a little help from Bianca’s crush and fellow birding aficionado, Elaine Yee (#13 Beautiful People, #11 Parents Discovering They’re a Raging Lesbian), the trio uncover a conspiracy much larger—and weirder—than imagined. But when the killer catches wind of the investigation, Bianca’s #1 fear of public speaking doesn’t sound so bad under the threat of being silenced for good.

Buy it: BookshopAmazon | IndieBound

Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa

Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong.

The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Lopez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce. The mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially their job at their family’s taquería. It’s the place that has inspired Ander as a muralist, and, as they get ready to leave for art school, it’s all of these things that give them hesitancy. That give them the thought, are they ready to leave it all behind?

To keep Ander from becoming complacent during their gap year, their family “fires” them so they can transition from restaurant life to focusing on their murals and prepare for college. That is, until they meet Santiago Garcia, the hot new waiter. Falling for each other becomes as natural as breathing. Through Santi’s eyes, Ander starts to understand who they are and want to be as an artist, and Ander becomes Santi’s first steps toward making Santos Vista and the United States feel like home.

Until ICE agents come for Santi, and Ander realizes how fragile that sense of home is. How love can only hold on so long when the whole world is against them. And when, eventually, the world starts to win.

Buy it: Amazon | IndieBound

Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens

Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.

Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.

But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa

El Diablo is in the details in this Latinx pirate fantasy starring a transmasculine nonbinary teen with a mission of revenge, redemption, and revolution.

On Mar León-de la Rosa’s 16th birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn’t enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar’s father and the entire crew of their ship.

When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up your soul to save your father by the Harvest Moon or never see him again. The task is impossible–Mar refuses to make a bargain and there’s no way their magic is any match for el Diablo. Then, Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate — and the captain’s son; and Dami, a genderfluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption — or it could mean certain death.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

Breakup, Makeup by Stacey Anthony

Eli Peterson is a self-taught, up-and-coming makeup artist in the cosplay scene who is barely making ends meet. While they might be slaying it with their breathtaking looks, they’re also trying to save enough money for top surgery and convince their parents that their artistic dream is worthwhile. During a convention, Eli hears about Makeup Wars, a competition that could change everything . . .

The grand prize? A scholarship to Beyond, the best SFX school on the West Coast. The problem? Going head-to-head with the most talented up-and-coming makeup artists in the scene—including rival influencer Zachary Miller, their ex-boyfriend. Eli will have to juggle their makeup brushes, their rekindled feelings for Zach, and their self-doubt in order to win everything they’ve ever wanted: a chance to chase their dream and a second chance at love.

Buy it: Bookshop | B&N | Amazon | Indigo | IndieBound

Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliott McLemore

Keep your enemy closer.

Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother.

Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana.

Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect.

Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.

Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person.
Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade.

And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

Court of the Undying Seasons by A.M. Strickland

In becoming a vampire, I’m less than a girl. And more.

Or maybe I’m becoming what I always have been, deep inside.
A blade.

When nineteen-year-old Fin volunteers to take her secret love’s place in their village’s Finding, she is terrified. Those who are chosen at the Finding are whisked away to Castle Courtsheart, a vampire school where human students either succeed and become vampires, fail and spend the rest of their lives as human thralls…or they don’t survive long enough to become either.

Fin is determined to forge a different path: learn how to kill the undead and get revenge for her mother, who was taken by the vampires years ago. But Courtsheart is as captivating as it is deadly, and Fin is quickly swept up in her new world and its inhabitants – particularly Gavron, her handsome and hostile vampire maker, whose blood is nothing short of intoxicating. As Fin begins to discover new aspects of her own identity and test her newfound powers, she stumbles across a string of murders that may be connected to a larger ritual – one with potentially lethal consequences for vampires and humans alike. Fin must uncover the truth and find the killer before she loses her life…or betrays her own heart.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

Transmogrify! ed. by g. haron-davis

Transness is as varied and colorful as magic can be. In Transmogrify!, you’ll embark on fourteen different adventures alongside unforgettable characters who embody many different genders and expressions and experiences—because magic is for everyone, and that is cause for celebration.

Featuring stories from:

  • AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy
  • g. haron davis
  • Mason Deaver
  • Jonathan Lenore Kastin
  • Emery Lee
  • Saundra Mitchell
  • Cam Montgomery
  • Ash Nouveau
  • Sonora Reyes
  • Renee Reynolds
  • Dove Salvatierra
  • Ayida Shonibar
  • Francesca Tacchi
  • Nik Traxler

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will by Maya MacGregor

Will is a 17-year-old on the cusp of freedom: freedom from providing and caring for their abusive, addicted mother, freedom from their small town with an even smaller mindset, and the freedom from having to hide who they truly are. When their drug dealer mother dies months before their 18th birthday, Will is granted their freedom earlier than expected. But their mother’s last words haunt Will: She cursed them with her dying breath, claiming her death was their fault. Soon their mother’s drug-dealing past threatens Will’s new shiny future, leaving Will scrambling to find their beloved former foster mother Raz before Child Protective Services or local drug dealers find them first. But how do you reconnect with family and embark on a new love when you’re convinced you destroy everything you touch?

Buy it: Amazon | IndieBound

Adult Fiction

Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly

It’s 2003, and artist Dawn Levit is stuck. A bookbinder who works in conservation at the Met, she spends her free time scouting the city’s street art, hoping something might spark inspiration. Instead, everything looks like a dead end. And art isn’t the only thing that feels wrong: wherever she turns, her gender identity clashes with the rest of her life. Her relationship, once anchored by shared queerness, is falling apart as her boyfriend Lukas increasingly seems to be attracted to Dawn only when she’s at her most masculine. Meanwhile at work, Dawn has to present as female, even on the days when that isn’t true. Either way, her difference feels like a liability.

Then, one day at work, Dawn finds something hidden behind the endpaper of an old book: the torn-off cover of a ‘50s lesbian pulp novel, Turn Her About. On the front is a campy illustration of a woman looking into a handheld mirror and seeing a man’s face. And on the back is a love letter.

Dawn latches onto the coincidence, becoming obsessed with tracking down the note’s author. Her fixation only increases when her best friend Jae is injured in a hate crime, for which Dawn feels responsible. As Dawn searches for the letter’s author, she is also looking for herself. She tries to understand how to live in a world that doesn’t see her as she truly is, how to get unstuck in her gender, and how to rediscover her art, and she can’t shake the feeling that the note’s author might be able to help guide her to the answers.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall

Peggy Delancey’s not at all ready to move on from her former flame, Arabella Tarleton. But Belle has her own plans for a love match, and she needs Peggy’s help to make those plans a reality. Still hung up on her feelings and unable to deny Belle what she wants, Peggy reluctantly agrees to help her woo the famous and flamboyant opera singer Orfeo.

She certainly doesn’t expect to find common ground with a celebrated soprano, but when Peggy and Orfeo meet, a whole new flame is ignited that she can’t ignore. Peggy finds an immediate kinship with Orfeo, a castrato who’s just as nonconforming as she is—and just as affected by their instant connection.

They’ve never been able to find their place in the world, but as the pair walks the line between friendship, flirtation, and something more, they may just find their place with each other.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky

Newly-out trans artist’s assistant Sammie is invited to an old friend’s bachelor weekend in El Campo, a hedonistic wonderland of a city floating in the Atlantic Ocean’s international waters—think Las Vegas with even fewer rules. Though they have not identified as a man for over a year, Sammie’s college buddies haven’t quite gotten the message—as evidenced by their formerly closest friend Adam asking them to be his “best man.”

Arriving at the swanky hotel, Sammie immediately questions their decision to come. Bad enough that they have to suffer through a torrent of passive-aggressive comments from the groom’s pals—all met with zero pushpack from supposed “nice guy” Adam. But also, they seem to be the only one who’s noticed the mysterious cult that’s also staying at the hotel, and is ritually dismembering guests and demanding fealty to their bloodthirsty god.

Part satire, part horror, Boys Weekend explores what it’s like to exist as a transfemme person in a man’s world, the difficulty of maintaining friendships through transition, and the more cult-like effects of masculinity, “hustle” culture, and capitalism—all through the vibrant lens of a surreal, scary, and immensely imaginative romp.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

The Heartbreak Handshake by J.R. Hart

Paxton McKee, Clover Hill’s rideshare driver and handyman, is known by his customers as responsible, dependable, and loyal. On first dates, though, he’s known by another word: boring. His dates never seem to appreciate his in-depth knowledge of famous aviation disasters or his LEGO expertise. His book club buddy, Mrs. Sawyer, keeps trying to set him up. But after so many failed dates, Paxton’s given up on finding someone who can accept him, special interests, stims, and all.

Hand-crafter Remi Sawyer put Clover Hill in their rear-view mirror to sell at craft fairs across the country. But being a traveling artisan is harder than Remi thought. With mounting bills, they’ve ended up back home. Being in their old teenage bedroom is weird. Weirder, their mother keeps trying to set them up on dates, even after they’ve made it clear the homecoming is temporary.

To get Mrs. Sawyer off their backs, Paxton and Remi agree on a scheme: they’ll go on three dates. When it’s over, Paxton can pretend to be heartbroken, and Remi can get back on the road. They even shake on it. But awkward dates lead to the realization the two have a lot in common. Kissing is gross? Check. Spending quiet time doing projects together is enjoyable? Double check.

But Remi is still hell-bent on leaving Clover Hill again, and Paxton is dead-set on staying. Can they find a new vision that doesn’t involve Remi leaving their kindred spirit behind, or are they both destined to lose the person who might be their perfect companion?

Buy it: Amazon 

The Evergeen Heir by A.K. Mulford

This is the fourth book in the Five Crowns of Okrith quintet

If allowed, Neelo Emberspear would never leave the library. Reluctant to take the throne despite their mother’s faltering health, the neurodivergent bookworm craves escape from their arranged marriage to charming fae warrior Talhan Catullus. But they know their duty can be put off no longer when their mother, the drug-addled queen, disastrously lights the castle on fire.

Fighting to save their mother’s life and keep her on the throne, Neelo is astonished when bonding over the written word brings them closer than ever to their cavalier, soon-to-be husband. But the non-binary heir’s growing affections may be cut short with witch uprisings threatening to topple the entire continent.

Can Neelo claim both love and dominion before their court is reduced to ash?

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

A Zookeeper’s Guide to Dating by Roan Rosser and Ian M. Keller

Wallflower janitor Emily has dreamed of being a zookeeper their entire life. But they’ve been passed over again and again for promotion. Asked out by a gay man who thinks they’re named ‘Emil,’ they feel happy for the first time in forever.

Jeremi is outgoing, friendly, driven… and his forgetfulness has lost him more boyfriends than he can count. When he meets an adorable twink at the zoo, Jeremi vows: this time will be different.

Their first date tanks.

Jeremi tries to salvage things by offering to be Emil’s job coach, yet he can’t help but want to be more than just friends.

As Emil’s egg cracks and their self-confidence grows, Emil yearns for more from Jeremi. Yet they worry they’re not what Jeremi is looking for…

Is their relationship doomed to die in captivity?

Buy it: Amazon

To Preorder

Deephaven by Ethan M. Aldridge (September 5, 2023)

When Guinevere “Nev” Tallow receives an acceptance letter to the exclusive Deephaven Academy, they know it’s the fresh start that they’ve been looking for.

But things are strange from the moment they arrive—the house itself seems to breathe, students whisper secrets in dark corridors, and the entire east wing of the academy is locked away for reasons no one wants to explain. And Nev knows something ragged stalks the shadowy corridors, something that sobs quietly and scratches at the walls, waiting to be released.

With the help of another first-year student, Nev takes it upon themselves to unravel the mysteries hidden in Deephaven’s halls. But will they risk their fresh start to bring the academy’s secret to light?

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans (September 12, 2023)

The Otherwoods is calling. And it won’t be ignored.

Some would call River Rydell a ‘chosen one’: born with the ability to see monsters and travel to a terrifying spirit world called The Otherwoods, they have all the makings of a hero. But River just calls themself unlucky. After all, it’s not like anyone actually believes River can see these things-or that anyone even believes monsters exist in the first place. So the way River sees it, it’s better to keep their head down and ignore anything Otherwoods related.

But The Otherwoods won’t be ignored any longer.

When River’s only friend (and crush) Avery is kidnapped and dragged into The Otherwoods by monsters, River has no choice but to confront the world they’ve seen only in their nightmares-but reality turns out be more horrifying than they could have ever imagined. With only their cat for protection and a wayward teen spirit as their guide, River must face the monsters of The Otherwoods and their own fears to save Avery and become the hero they were (unfortunately) destined to be.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O’Brien (September 12, 2023)

Rat Evans, nonbinary heir to one of the oldest magical bloodlines in New York, doesn’t cast spells anymore. For as long as Rat can remember, they’ve been surrounded by doorways no one else sees and corridors that aren’t on any map. Then one day, they opened a passage and found a broken tower in a field of weeds—and something followed them back.

When Rat is accepted into Bellamy Arts, all they want is a place to hide and to make sure they never open another passageway again. But when the only other person who knows what really happened last year—Harker Blakely, the dangerously gifted trans boy who used to be Rat’s closest friend—turns up on campus, Rat begins to realize that Bellamy Arts might not be as safe as they’d thought. And the tower might not be through with them yet.

Soon, Rat finds themself caught in a web of secrets and long-buried magic, with their friend-turned-enemy at their throat. But the closer they come to uncovering the truth about the tower, the further they’re drawn toward the unsettling powers that threaten to swallow them whole.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

The Stars and the Stage by D.N. Bryn (September 15, 2023)

“If you want to prove yourself, then bleed for me.”

Diego refuses to see themselves as their society’s monster. Since fleeing their hometown—and the high school sweetheart who spurned their fangs—a decade ago, they’ve found a new home with the staff of a sensual role play club that creates fantasies for vampire-human couples. Working as the temporary stand in for humans with no vampire of their own, impassioned romance now seems like a thing of the past.

That is, until Diego’s traitorous high school flame reappears in a storm of drama, claiming he’s finally ready to earn their forgiveness—in whatever way Diego demands of him.

The man now trying to woo them back isn’t quite the one they remember; he’s aggressively forthright, persistently self-sacrificing, and strong in ways Diego could never have fathomed. But his sudden re-emergence comes just as the club is under threat, and any good thing might just be too good to be true.

Explore the wider world of the Guides for Dating Vampires series with this standalone novella set in Los Angles in the 90s, where a fiery sub/dom second chance romance blooms between the transmasc-NB/M couple.

Buy it: Amazon

Green by Alex Gino (October 3, 2023)

Middle-grade superstar author Alex Gino returns to the world they began with MELISSA and RICK with GREEN, the story of a non-binary middle-schooler named Green who comes into their own in no small part by fighting for gender-free casting in their school’s production of THE WIZARD OF OZ.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Kahn (October 17, 2023)

All Elle Campbell wants to do is meet their hero, non-binary icon Nuri Grena. Well, okay, they’d like a bit more than that — they’d like to learn how to do cat eye makeup, for queen bee Casey to stop critiquing their outfits, and for the finale of Elle’s favorite show to have been less terrible. But meeting Nuri means the most of all.

So when Elle learns that Nuri is coming to town for book signing on Saturday, Elle is thrilled. It’s the perfect chance to meet their hero! Elle’s never been happier since they came out as non-binary, but they have a lot of questions — questions only Nuri can answer.

But Elle’s dreams are dashed when an altercation with a surly substitute teacher lands Elle in Saturday detention. Elle is ready to give up until their two best friends come up with a plan to bust them out of school. A plan so outrageous, it just might work.

Yet that’s just step one. The kids also have to make their way across town with no money, no phones… and no driver’s licenses. But they refuse to give up — even if that means “borrowing” scooters from elementary school loan sharks, or winning a laser tag tournament with a cash prize.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost by Esme Symes-Smith (November 7, 2023)

This is the sequel to Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston

Thanks to Callie and their friends, Helston seems to be changing for the better: Boys are allowed to explore their magic, and girls are permitted to train as warriors. Callie is an official Helston page, Willow in on track to become king, and Elowen and Edwyn are finally safe and free of their father. Everything is…perfect.

Except it isn’t.

Not in Helston, where every step forward is accompanied by a storm of opposition. Even Queen Ewella and Sir Nick are struggling against the wave of fear and anti-magical sentiment growing daily, while the encroaching threat from across the bridge looms.

Callie isn’t foolish; they notice the suspicious glances thrown Neal’s way and hear the doubtful murmurs following Willow. They know what people think about them, too. Tolerance is not the same as acceptance, and when the fragile peace finally shatters, Callie and their friends have no choice but to leave their home and run.

On the other side of the bridge, old secrets are revealed and new allegiances are formed that will throw into question everything Callie thought they knew about their world. Including what it means to be a hero.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

The Manor House Governess by C.A. Castle (November 7, 2023)

Orphaned young and raised with chilly indifference at an all-boys boarding school, Brontë Ellis has grown up stifled by rigid rules and social “norms,” forbidden from expressing his gender identity. His beloved novels and period films lend an escape, until a position as a live-in tutor provides him with a chance to leave St. Mary’s behind.

Greenwood Manor is the kind of elegant country house Bron has only read about, and amid lavish parties and cricket matches the Edwards family welcomes him into the household with true warmth. Mr. Edwards and the young Ada, Bron’s pupil, accept without question that Bron’s gender presentation is not traditionally masculine. Only Darcy, the eldest son, seems uncomfortable with Bron—the two of them couldn’t be more opposite.

When a tragic fire blazes through the estate’s idyllic peace, Bron begins to sense dark secrets smoldering beneath Greenwood Manor’s surface. Channeling the heroines of his cherished paperbacks, he begins to sift through the wreckage. Soon, he’s not sure what to believe, especially with his increasing attraction to Darcy clouding his vision.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N

Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon (November 28, 2023)

Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the tiny town of Gracie, Georgia. Known for being their peers’ queer awakening, Gem leans hard on charm to disguise the anxious mess they are beneath. The only person privy to their authentic self is another trans kid, Enzo, who’s a thousand long, painful miles away in Brooklyn.

But even Enzo doesn’t know about Gem’s dreams, haunting visions of magic and violence that have always felt too real. So how the hell does Willa Mae Hardy? The strange new girl in town acts like she and Gem are old companions, and seems to know things about them they’ve never told anyone else.

When Gem is attacked by a stranger claiming to be the Goddess of Death, Willa Mae saves their life and finally offers some answers. She and Gem are reincarnated gods who’ve known and loved each other across lifetimes. But Gem – or at least who Gem used to be – hasn’t always been the most benevolent deity. They’ve made a lot of enemies in the pantheon—enemies who, like the Goddess of Death, will keep coming.

It’s a good thing they’ve still got Enzo. But as worlds collide and the past catches up with the present, Gem will discover that everyone has something to hide.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Okay, Cupid by Mason Deaver (January 2, 2024)

As a cupid, Jude thinks they understand love a little bit more than the average human. It makes sense — Jude’s been studying love their whole teen life. And, yes, there have been some bumps in the road, and they’re currently on probation for doing something that they absolutely, definitely shouldn’t have done… but they’re ready to prove they can make matches without ever getting involved.

Only… Jude’s next assignment isn’t about setting up two adults. No, this time Jude has to go to high school, with kids their own age. And the assignment is a tough one: two best friends who are meant to be more than just best friends… but who aren’t currently speaking to each other after a huge falling out.

Jude thinks they’ve got this one all under control, and that they won’t get involved whatsoever.

Which proves that maybe Jude hasn’t learned the first lesson of humans and love … It’s complicated.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

The Diablo’s Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa (February 20, 2024)

From the author of The Wicked Bargain comes a high-stakes race to defeat a curse designed to kill–about a teen demon who wants to be human, a boy cursed to die young, and the murderous island destined to bury them both.

Dami is a demon determined to cancel every deal they’ve ever made in order to tether their soul to earth and become human again. There’s just one person standing in their way: Silas. An irresistibly (and stubborn) cute boy cursed to die young, except for the deal with Dami that is keeping him alive. If they cancel the deal, Silas is dead. Unless… they can destroy the curse that has plagued Silas’s family for generations. But to do so, Dami and Silas are going to have to work together.  That is, if the curse doesn’t kill them first. . . .

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Really Cute People by Markus Harwood-Jones (March 12, 2024)

A little domestic bliss never hurt anyone…right?

Charlie Dee is headed for burnout. They’ve been burned before, both by their bio family and the now-defunct queer collective they once called home. So when they’re asked to take a work trip outside the city, they jump at the chance. Sure, it’s additional work with no additional pay, but it’s also an excuse to get out of town—and out of their own head.

That dream is shattered when Charlie opens the door to their supposedly private rental. There’s a bird on the loose, circling the living room as it’s chased by a cat, who is chased by a small child. The girl’s parents, Hayden and Buffy, only manage to add to the chaos. They promise to leave first thing in the morning, but when a massive snowstorm rolls in, this overnight trip becomes a weeklong affair.

Reluctantly charmed by this unfiltered—if forced—look at a loving, healthy family, Charlie begins to develop feelings for both Hayden and Buffy. And they both seem to be flirting back. But when the promise of a promotion lures Charlie back to the city, all three will have to decide where they go from here—and what it means to truly feel at home.

Buy it: Amazon

To Add to Your TBR

June 2023 Deal Announcements

Adult Fiction

Talia Samuels‘s THE CHRISTMAS SWAP, a queer Christmas romcom featuring a woman who fake dates her friend in order for him to bring someone home for the holidays, only to fall for his sister, to Melissa Rechter at Alcove Press, in a nice deal, for publication in October 2023, by Sarah Scarlett at Penguin Random House UK (NA).

Lyla Lee‘s LOVE IN FOCUS, an adult debut, featuring a sapphic second chance rom com pitched for fans of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, in which a relationship advice columnist in her late 20s finds herself re-evaluating her own past after an unexpected breakup, when she’s forced to work with an ex-girlfriend who inexplicably abandoned her during college, the two must pair up to work on a career defining piece about modern love that could not only potentially save the protagonist’s job, but also maybe her heart, to Junessa Viloria at Forever, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Penny Moore at Aevitas Creative Management (NA).

Kelli Storm‘s CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, in which a small town business owner challenges her teenage boyband crush–and local hero–to save the town Main Street from a big business takeover and figures out her own happily ever after while navigating her mother’s dementia, asexuality, and sudden viral fame, to Megan Broderick at Harlequin Special Edition, in a two-book deal, by Jill Marsal at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (world).

Author of FOR HER CONSIDERATION Amy Spalding’s next two novels in the Out in Hollywood series, to Norma Perez-Hernandez at Kensington, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, for publication in winter 2025 and 2026, by Kate Schafer Testerman at kt literary (world).

Jem Zero‘s A SPARK IN HIS HAND, in which a vulnerable man stripped of his memories yearns for independence when forced to perform unpaid labor to earn his keep, and runs away to begin an affair with a shy, handsome politician who holds information about his true identity, to Lisa Green at City Owl Press, in a nice deal, for publication in June 2024 (US).

NYU graduate and ex-movie marketer Phil Melanson’s THE FIGUREHEAD, a queer historical novel set in Renaissance Florence, pitched as WOLF HALL meets THE SONG OF ACHILLES, in which the bloody feud between the ruling Medici family and the pope’s court in Rome forever alters the career of a young, gay painter, known today as Leonardo da Vinci, to Gina Iaquinta at Liveright, at auction, by Chad Luibl at Janklow & Nesbit (NA).

Laura Piper Lee’s ZOE BRENNAN, FIRST CRUSH, a sapphic rom-com about a Georgia vineyard owner who’s forced to team up with her childhood crush turned Napa vintner snob to win a prestigious wine festival’s local showcase and save her family’s vineyard, again to Laura Schreiber at Union Square & Co, by Carrie Pestritto at Laura Dail Literary Agency (world).

D.L. Sims’s EVERYTHING IS JUST FINE, a contemporary LGBTQIA+ love story following a college freshman who develops feelings for not one, but two of his classmates, to Anna Todd at Frayed Pages, for publication in fall 2024 (world).

Author of THE SHADOW CABINET Juno Dawson’s QUEEN B, a prequel to HER MAJESTY’S ROYAL COVEN, sweeping us to the reign of Henry VIII and the origins of the coven under the beautiful and bewitching Anne Boleyn, to Nidhi Pugalia at Penguin, by Katelyn Dougherty at Paradigm (NA).

Kamilah Cole’s THE SINISTER ELITE, a speculative dark academia thriller about a college freshman haunted by a sense of deja vu that turns deadly when she finds a message scrawled on her skin written in her own hand that simply says REMEMBER, to Mary Altman at Poisoned Pen Press, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world).

Nebula, Lambda, and Hugo Award finalist Lee Mandelo, ed.’s AMPLITUDES: STORIES OF QUEER AND TRANS FUTURITY, a short fiction anthology about how we can imagine better worlds as an act of literary resistance during a time of rising threats against queer and trans people, to Diana Pho at Erewhon, in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Tara Gilbert at Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency (world).

2017 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize winner Laura Chow Reeve’s A SMALL APOCALYPSE, a debut collection of stories in which human bodies shape shift, queer ghosts haunt their friends, a young woman pickles memories with her Chinese grandmother, and a movie theater floods during an apocalyptic movie marathon, pitched for fans Carmen Maria Machado and Karen Russell, to Marisa Siegel at Northwestern University Press, for publication in spring 2024, by Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts at HG Literary (NA).

Briony Cameron’s THE BALLAD OF JACQUOTTE DELAHAYE, an epic tale pitched as based on the legend of a woman of color from colonial Haiti as she becomes one of the few infamous female pirate captains to sail the Caribbean in the 17th century, with a queer love story at its heart, in an exploration of human connection, friendship, and the search for freedom and home, to Natalie Hallak at Atria, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, by Rebecca Wearmouth at PFD, on behalf of Laurie Robertson (NA).

Rhodes Scholar and filmmaker Eli Zuzovsky’s MAZELTOV, an offbeat coming-of-age debut centered on a closeted gay boy in Israel, who on the day of his bar mitzvah must wrestle with lust and longing as he confronts the forces of family neurosis and national dysfunction, pitched as Philip Roth for millennials, to Riva Hocherman at Holt, in a nice deal, by Jessica Kasmer-Jacobs at Deborah Harris Agency (NA).

Children’s and Middle Grade Fiction Ben Kahn and Jeremy Whitley’s graphic novel THE DASHING SCHOOL FOR WAYWARD PRINCES, the story of a supposed prince who knows that, deep down, she’s really a princess; despite the school’s rigid and outdated gender norms, the princess and her newfound misfit friends find the courage to embrace themselves and stand up to anyone who says otherwise, illustrated by Melissa Capriglione, to Julia McCarthy at Atheneum, for publication in summer 2025, by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds for the authors, and by Laurel Symonds at kt literary for the illustrator (world).

Young Adult Fiction

Pushcart and Discovery/The Nation prize-winning poet, critic, and editor Rebecca Stafford’s RABBIT AND JULIET, a starstruck queer story about a grieving girl in a small Georgia town who meets the enigmatic daughter of a world-famous actor and embarks on a revenge plot to hold local boys accountable for a series of assaults, to Alyssa Miele at Quill Tree, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2024, by Marcy Posner at Folio Literary Management (NA).

Debut author-illustrator Mars Lauderbaugh’s HOLLOW MAGIC, in which a 17-year-old witch, searching for ways to understand her magic, meets an intriguing knight full of secrets, and, with their help, must find a way to lift the curse from an ancient castle or lose the chance to learn the truth about her lineage forever, to Rachel Diebel at Feiwel and Friends, for publication in fall 2026, by Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

Cass Biehn’s debut VESUVIUS, a queer YA historical fantasy pitched as THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by way of THE SONG OF ACHILLES, set in Pompeii days before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in which two boys must grapple with their closely guarded secrets and untangle their fates to make it out of the burning city alive, to Zoie Konneker at Peachtree Teen, in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Annalise Errico at Ladderbird Literary Agency (world).

Author of QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL Lee Wind’s A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE, an adventure romance in which two gay teens—one who has escaped from a gay reprogramming institute in California, and the other, a privileged New Yorker who idolizes James Bond—come together to save each other and free the other teens trapped in the institute, to Jerome Pohlen at Chicago Review Press, for publication in March 2024, by Marietta Zacker at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency (world).

Author of THE BEST LIARS IN RIVERVIEW and THE HOUSE THAT WHISPERS Lin Thompson’s THE REAPER’S GLASS, pitched as Our Flag Means Death meets THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE, a queer/trans historical duology about three teens who set sail to face down a secret magical society in 1840s New England, to Camille Kellogg at Bloomsbury Children’s, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2025, by Beth Phelan at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency (world).

Author of KINGS, QUEENS AND IN-BETWEENS Tanya Boteju’s MESSY PERFECT, exploring questions of faith, sexuality, and responsibility in the story of an overachieving teen’s efforts to run an underground gender and sexuality alliance and the complications that arise—because not only does she attend a Catholic high school, she also happens to be closeted, to Jennifer Ung at Quill Tree, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret (world).

Brazilian author Clara Alves’s LONDON ON MY MIND, originally published in Brazil as ROMANCE REAL, translated into English by Nina Perrotta, in which a girl moves from Rio de Janeiro to London to live with her estranged father and his new family, and strikes up an unexpected romance with a beautiful and mysterious girl who is clearly hiding something about her connection to the royal family, to Orlando Dos Reis at Scholastic, for publication in summer 2024, by Danielle Burby and Alba Milena at Mad Woman Literary Agency, on behalf of Seguinte (world English).

Non-Fiction and Poetry

Illustrator, cartoonist, and author Lonnie Mann’s GAYTHEIST: COMING OUT OF MY ORTHODOX CHILDHOOD, a coming-of-age graphic memoir about growing up gay in an Orthodox Jewish community, to Liz Frances at Street Noise, with Matt Madden editing, in a nice deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in February of 2024 (world).

Grammy Award-nominated, Mercury Prize-winning singer, songwriter, and poet Arlo Parks’s THE MAGIC BORDER, a collection of poetry exploring the queer experience, blackness, grief, trauma, and love, featuring photographs by Daniyel Lowden and the complete lyrics to her sophomore album My Soft Machine, to Stuart Roberts at Dey Street Books, at auction, for publication in September 2023, by Meredith Miller at UTA (NA).

Author of RAINBOW: A FIRST BOOK OF PRIDE Michael Genhart’s picture book biography EDIE FOR EQUALITY: EDIE WINDSOR STANDS UP FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY, about the LGBTQ icon whose landmark case before the Supreme Court paved the way for marriage equality, illustrated by Cheryl Thuesday, to Jessica Echeverria at Lee and Low, for publication in spring 2025, by Nicole Geiger at Full Circle Literary (world).

Author of QUEERING THE TAROT, QUEERING YOUR CRAFT, and LESSONS FROM THE EMPRESS Cassandra Snow’s TAROT: IN OTHER WORDS, an anthology of essential writing by leading queer tarot writers and community leaders about their tarot practice and its relevance to LGBTQ+ issues, with contributions from Charlie Claire Burgess, Meg Jones Wall, Siri Vincent Plouff, Asalie Earthwork, Rebecca Scolnick, Maria Minnis, Nick Kepley, and others, to Peter Turner at Weiser Books, in an exclusive submission, for publication in spring 2025, by Kelly Van Sant at kt literary (world English).

Poet charles theonia’s GAY HEAVEN IS A DANCE FLOOR BUT I CAN’T RELAX, a poetry collection where poetic citation assumes the form of cross-generational conversation between queer and trans artists and writers, with methodologies and forms promiscuous (not limited to pop songs, paintings, a sexological study, and AIDS activist agitprop), variable in their structure, and invested in intergenerational queer connectivity, to Nicodemus Nicoludis at Archway Editions, for publication in spring 2024 (world English).

Most Anticipated Middle Grade: July-December 2023

The Showdown by Jessica Burkhart (July 25th)

This is the second book in the Saddlehill Academy series

Now that Abby knows which of her so-called friends is the one behind the video of her talking “trash” on Emery, she’d love to do something with that information—if only her blackmailer didn’t know Abby’s one real secret, the one she can’t risk getting out. So, Abby’s stuck. And, to make matters worse, she’s so rattled by the drama that it’s affecting her performance on Beau. Abby wants to be as great a rider as Sasha Silver, but how can she do that when she’s making rookie mistakes?

When tensions come to a head, Abby’s score at the shows isn’t the only thing in jeopardy—so is her place on the team.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading Most Anticipated Middle Grade: July-December 2023

October 2021 Deal Announcements

Adult Fiction

Psychotherapist K. L. Cerra’s‘s SUCH PRETTY FLOWERS, a Southern gothic suspense with horror and queer elements about a woman’s investigation into her brother’s unlikely suicide—his last words being “get it out of me”—and subsequently, her obsession with his fiancee, a magnetic, black-eyed florist with a penchant for carnivorous plants; and a second book about a coven operating under the guise of the wedding industry whose plans to save women from wife- and motherhood have sinister implications, to Jenny Chen at Bantam Dell, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, by Chelsey Emmelhainz at Copps Literary Services (world).

Taleen Voskuni‘s SORRY, BRO, a queer rom-com about a twenty-something newly single Armenian woman whose mother insists she find a proper new suitor at a series of local Armenian cultural events—only the woman she meets is the last person her very traditional family had in mind, to Cindy Hwang and Angela Kim at Berkley, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2023, by Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (NA).

Lena May‘s THE SIGNS WE MISSED, in which a young gay man who emancipated from his mother battles addiction, an eating disorder, and being in love with his best while trying to graduate high school and survive, to Kisstopher Musick at Cinnabar Moth, in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2022.

Lindy Ryan and Toni Miller‘s eds.’s UNDER HER SKIN, a showcase of body horror-inspired poetry from women (cis and trans) and nonbinary femmes in horror, including Bram Stoker Award-winning and nominated poets Lee Murray, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Sara Tantlinger, and Jessica McHugh, with a foreword by Linda D. Addison, to Black Spot, for publication in April 2022 (world English).

Kate Brook’s NOT EXACTLY WHAT I HAD IN MIND, following four 20-somethings—two roommates navigating the awkward aftermath of a one night stand, and a lesbian couple looking to start a family—as their lives collide and all four learn that sometimes you find family, and love, in the place you would least expect, pitched as for readers of Emma Straub or J. Courtney Sullivan, to Lindsey Rose at Dutton, by Rebecca Wearmouth at PFD (NA). Rights to Sarah Hodgson at Corvus, by Philippa Sitters at David Godwin Associates (UK/Commonwealth, excl. Canada); to Suma de Letras (Spain); and to Diana (Germany), at auction, by Rebecca Wearmouth at PFD.

Author of the forthcoming MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE Alexene Farol Follmuth writing as Olivie Blake’s THE ATLAS SIX TRILOGY, pitched as Kingsman/X-Men meets THE SECRET HISTORY with a diverse cast and strong queer representation, following six uniquely talented magicians from around the world who are invited to compete for an elite academic fellowship where elimination holds deadly consequences, the first book of which was previously self-published and popular on TikTok, to Molly McGhee at Tor, in a major deal, in a pre-empt, in a three-book deal, for publication in March 2022, by Amelia Appel at TriadaUS Literary Agency (world).

Winner of the 2018 VQR Emily Clark Balch Prize for Fiction and UT Austin MFA Celia Bell’s THE DISENCHANTMENT, which follows a baroness who falls in love with another woman, and the chaos that ensues when her husband discovers their secret, set against the backdrop of Versailles and Parisian society, to Shelley Wanger at Pantheon, for publication in 2023, by Anna Stein at ICM (NA). Rights to Serpent’s Tail (UK), by Lucy Morris and Sabhbh Curry at Curtis Brown UK.

Children’s/Middle Grade Fiction

Vicki Johnson‘s picture book MOLLY’S TUXEDO, about a girl who has big plans to wear a dashing tuxedo for her school picture day, but her mom has picked out a dress, so with her friends’ support, the girl proves the way to look your best is to be yourself, illustrated by Gillian Reid, to Charlie Ilgunas at Little Bee Books, for publication in summer 2023, by Zoe Sandler at ICM for the author, and by Christy Tugeau Ewers at The CAT Agency for the illustrator (world).

Aliza Layne‘s BEETLE AND THE CHIMERA CARNIVAL, a sequel to the Stonewall Honor Book BEETLE AND THE HOLLOWBONES, which follows Beetle and her friends as they face new and sinister complications when the dragons set to arrive for a community celebration never appear, illustrated by Aliza Layne, to Julia McCarthy at Atheneum, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2024 and fall 2025, by Susan Graham at Einstein Literary Management (world English).

Author-illustrator Kyla Smith‘s FOXES, FIRE, & OTHER MAGIC, in which a curious young fox spirit who stumbled into the human world during the annual Obon festival and became trapped, and a nonbinary noodle maker struggling to keep their parents’ legacy alive, must learn to trust each other to save the udon shop and get the fox spirit home before the spirit gate closes for good, to Emily Settle and Erin Siu at Feiwel and Friends, in a very nice deal, for publication in spring 2024, by Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency (world).

Coauthor of RENEGADE RULE Ben Kahn‘s ELLE CAMPBELL SAVES THEIR SATURDAY, in which a nonbinary seventh grader wants to meet their celebrity hero at a local signing, so they and their two best friends will have to stage a daring escape from weekend detention, and avoid bullies and parents as they trek across town to save their Saturday, to Mallory Kass at Scholastic, in an exclusive submission, for publication in 2023, by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds (world).

Dresden Douglas’s GIRLS GIVE ME BUTTERFLIES, a debut middle grade graphic novel pitched as a sapphic Lizzie McGuire, about a young girl who begins to feel flustered and tongue-tied around other girls while struggling to tune out the voice of an excitable little figment who manifests all her innermost thoughts, to Mekisha Telfer at Roaring Brook Press, at auction, for publication in 2023, by Claire Draper at The Bent Agency (world).

Young Adult

Mela Rogers‘s debut LOVE LIGHT, set in a world where a beacon of light connects each person’s heart to their soulmate’s; a girl’s parents are light fanatics, so she is shocked when she falls for a girl who is not her soulmate, and when she meets her actual soulmate, she must choose between her faith and her first love, to Dana Chidiac at Holt Children’s, for publication in winter 2025, by Chelsea Eberly at Greenhouse Literary Agency (world).

HERE FOR IT author R. Eric Thomas‘s debut KINGS OF B’MORE, a celebration of queer Black friendship as two boys plan a day of fun and facing their fears, pitched as inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, to Joanna Cardenas at Kokila, for publication in summer 2022, by Anna Sproul-Latimer at Neon Literary (world).

Freja Nicole Woolf’s NEVER TRUST A GEMINI, pitched as a LGBTQ+ ANGUS, THONGS AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING, in which a zodiac-obsessed 15-year-old struggling with a desperate crush on her best friend must scramble through a fake boyfriend, a house fire, and an unexpected Christmas romance to find her happy ending, to Denise Johnstone-Burt and Non Pratt at Walker UK, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2023, by Gemma Cooper at The Bent Agency (world).

NYT-bestselling author of CEMETERY BOYS Aiden Thomas‘s JUST MAX, in which a stealth transgender college student faces the usual stress of freshman year—making new friends and trying to fit in—all while managing testosterone shots, navigating the perils of communal bathrooms, and falling in love with the handsome soccer player down the hall, to Holly West at Feiwel and Friends, in a good deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in winter 2024, by Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

MAJOR DETOURS author Zachary Sergi‘s SO YOU WANNA BE A POPSTAR?, an interactive novel following five diverse and queer teen solo artists who are forced into a pop group that goes viral overnight, and where the reader chooses the paths forward to guide the characters on their journey to stardom, to Britny Brooks at Running Press Kids, for publication in winter 2023, by Lucy Carson at Friedrich Agency (world).

FULL DISCLOSURE author Camryn Garrett’s FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE, about a queer teen determined to throw a lavish coming out party in place of a sweet sixteen, but when her mother is laid off, she’s forced to balance saving for the party with keeping her household afloat, all the while navigating her growing feelings for a new girl at school, to Katherine Harrison at Knopf Children’s, in a six-figure deal, for publication in spring 2023, by Beth Phelan at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency (NA). Rights also to Emma Jones at Random House UK Children’s, by Ellen Greenberg, on behalf of Beth Phelan.

K.M. Watts’s BORN ANDROMEDA, a debut in which a moon princess is kidnapped by galactic pirates, and joins the world of piracy in order to get home—if she doesn’t fall for one first, to Annie Harper at Duet, in a nice deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in fall 2022 (world). Rights: Mary Jo Courchesne at Gryphon Publishing Consulting

Nonfiction

WHAT ARE YOUR WORDS? illustrator Andy Passchier‘s GENDER IDENTITY FOR KIDS, a chapter book guide breaking down what gender is and isn’t, what your feelings around gender might mean, and how to let the world know who you are and help others do the same, to Regan Winter at Little, Brown Children’s, with Andrea Colvin and Aria Balraj editing, for publication in summer 2023, by Alexandra Gehringer at The Bright Group (world).

Chicana writer, activist, poet, essayist, and playwright Cherrie Moraga‘s LOVING IN THE WAR YEARS and THE LAST GENERATION, combined in a single 40th anniversary volume; and WAITING IN THE WINGS: PORTRAIT OF A QUEER MOTHERHOOD, to be published on its 25th anniversary, both with new forewords by the author, to Julie Fain at Haymarket, in a two-book deal, by Stuart Bernstein at Stuart Bernstein Representation.

Olympic champion and elite runner Caster Semenya’s SILENCE ALL THE NOISE, a story of courage, resilience, and hope about her childhood in rural South Africa, her running career, and her experience as an intersex woman in professional sports, to Norton, at auction, with a young readers edition.