Queer Reads
June 2025
 
New books by and about the queer community!
 
Adult Reads 
Kiss me, maybe
by Gabriella Gamez

Librarian Angela Gutierrez has never been kissed. But after posting a video about her late bloomer status and ace identity, she decides to use her influencer status to come up with a scavenger hunt in which the winner earns her first kiss. Realizing she may need some help to pull off the event, she recruits Krystal Ramirez, her unrequited crush of five years. Krystal has never been interested in romance and is convinced that she isn't capable of love. However, the more time they spend together, the stronger their connection becomes, and Angela realizes she's falling head over heels for a woman who may never love her back.
Ready to score
by Jodie Slaughter

Jade Dunn is determined to become a head high school football coach, but small-town politics stand in her way. When she lands a spot at a prestigious poker game ideal for networking, she doesn’t expect to butt heads—and sparks—with the infuriatingly attractive art teacher, Francesca Lim. Francesca gave up her own coaching dreams for love, only to have it fall apart. Now, back in the game, she’s vying for the same job as Jade. Neither can afford distractions, especially each other. But as their chemistry grows harder to ignore, keeping their hearts out of the competition may be the toughest play of all.
Palm Meridian : a novel
by Grace Flahive

In a story of long-lost love, friendship and a life well-lived, set at a Florida retirement resort for queer women, resident Hannah Cardin's lives out the last day of her life.
Gaysians
by Mike Curato

​When AJ moves to Seattle in the early aughts, he's ready to reinvent himself as a gay Asian man--but his dreams hit reality fast with no friends, no job, and an apartment so far out, "not even lesbians live there." Then a spilled drink at a bar introduces him to K, a glamorous drag queen; John, a shy gamer; and Steven, a reckless flirt. AJ's "Boy Luck Club" helps him find love, pride, and belonging--until a brutal attack tests everything they know about friendship and family. 
Atmosphere : a love story
by Taylor Jenkins Reid

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.
Great black hope : a novel
by Rob Franklin

A young Black man is caught between worlds of race and class, glamour and tragedy a friend's mysterious death and his own arrest.
There are reasons for this : a novel
by Nini Berndt

Two years after her brother Mikey’s death, Lucy travels to Denver—the city he planned to bring her to—to find Helen, the woman he loved. But nothing is as she expected. The city is falling apart, the weather is violent, a mysterious predator stalks the streets, and desire is numbed by mass-distributed pills. Most unsettling, Lucy becomes fixated on Helen, who doesn’t know Lucy’s true identity. As the two grow closer, Lucy realizes her reasons for coming run deeper than grief. As a storm builds and the city unravels, Lucy is pulled toward Helen and away from Mikey, confronting love’s fragility, the meaning of family, and what comes next.
These heathens : a novel
by Mia McKenzie

Seeking an abortion in 1960s Atlanta's seventeen-year-old Doris Steele is exposed to a world of activism, celebrity, and self-discovery, while questioning her own desires amid the influence of her favorite teacher, her childhood best friend, and a swirling cast of urbanites.
A sharp endless need : a novel
by Marisa Crane

Star high school basketball player Mack Morris grapples with grief and forbidden desire for her talented teammate Liv Cooper while navigating college recruitment, societal pressures and the complexities of first love in small-town Pennsylvania.
The emperor of gladness : a novel
by Ocean Vuong

In the struggling town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai is saved from despair by Grazina, an elderly widow with dementia, forging an unexpected bond that reshapes their lives and reveals dynamics of love, memory, and resilience on the margins of society.
The manor of dreams : a novel
by Christina Li

Vivian Yin is dead. The first Chinese actress to win an Oscar, the trailblazing ingenue rose to fame in the eighties, only to disappear from the spotlight at the height of her career and live out the rest of her life as a recluse. Now her remaining family members are gathered for the reading of her will, and her daughters expect to inherit her sprawling garden estate. But due to a last-minute change to the will, the house is passed on to another family instead--one that has suddenly returned after decades of estrangement. In hopes of staking their claim, both families move into the mansion. Amidst the grief and paranoia of this unhappy reunion, Vivian's daughters race to piece together what happened in the last weeks of their mother's life, only to realize they are being haunted by something much more sinister and vengeful than their regrets.
The ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery : a novel
by Clarence A. Haynes

Gwendolyn Montgomery, New York’s most powerful publicist at Sublime Media, seems to have the perfect life—glamorous clients, a dreamy boyfriend, and impeccable style. But behind the façade, she’s hiding a secret: she’s a mystical practitioner who can access El Intermedio, a realm of the dead. After a strange, grisly incident at the Brooklyn Museum, Gwendolyn realizes something dark is surfacing from her buried past. Enter Fonsi Harewood, a queer Latinx psychic from the South Bronx caught in a love triangle with a ghost and his ex. With a thriving business interpreting messages from the dead, Fonsi brings Gwendolyn a dire warning—the barrier between worlds is collapsing. Gwendolyn would rather ignore the ghostly chaos, but to stop the spirit world from overtaking New York, she must confront the life she left behind.
A poisonous silence
by Jenny Adams

Philadelphia, 1921. Edie Shippen has officially started her new career as a private investigator, even though she has yet to book a client. When she runs into an old friend, the film actress Ava Sylvester, Edie is delighted at the chance to rekindle their relationship. But when Ava's co-star and new husband, Duncan, dies suddenly, all signs point to Ava. Edie's first official case begins in earnest, desperately trying to clear her friend's name. Gilbert Lawless has carved out a peaceful existence as a coroner's assistant. The last thing he wants is to jeopardize his position by involving himself with Edie Shippen. But when the body count racks up, Gilbert finds himself drawn into Edie's investigation on the set of Philadelphia's most famous film studio, where everyone seems to have something to hide. As the cameras roll, Edie and Gilbert race to catch a poisoner before one of them ends up being the next body in the morgue.
The Vengeance
by Emma Newman

Morgane grew up at sea, daughter of the fierce pirate captain of the Vengeance, raised to follow in her footsteps as scourge of the Four Chains Trading Company. But when Anna-Marie is mortally wounded in battle, she confesses to Morgane that she is not her mother. The captain of the enemy ship reveals he was paid to kill Anna-Marie and bring Morgane home to France and her real family. Desperate to learn the truth about her lineage, Morgane spares him, leaving the Vengeance and everything she knows behind.
 
Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame
by Neon Yang

Masked guildknight, Yeva, was thirteen when she killed her first dragon. With her gift revealed, she was shipped away to the imperial capital to train in the rare art of dragon-slaying. Now a legendary dragon hunter, she has never truly felt at home. Yeva must now slay a dragon in Quanbao, a fiercely independent and reclusive kingdom, where it is rumored that dragons are not feared but instead loved and worshipped. She is welcomed into the palace by Quanbao's monarch, Lady Sookhee. Though wary of each other, Yeva is shocked to find herself slowly opening up to the beautiful, mysterious queen. As they grow closer, Yeva longs to let Lady Sookhee see the person behind the armor, but she knows she must fulfill her purpose and slay the dragon. Ultimately, she must decide if she is willing to betray her own heart, or the sacred duty.
 
Disco witches of Fire Island : a novel
by Blair Fell

It's 1989, and Joe Agabian and his best friend Ronnie set out to spend their first summer working in the hedonistic gay paradise of Fire Island Pines. Joe is desperate to let loose and finally move beyond the heartbreak of having lost his boyfriend to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The two friends are quickly taken in by a pair of quirky, older house cleaners, Howie and Lenny, who are members of a secret disco witch coven tasked with protecting the island--and young men like Joe--from the relentless tragedies ravaging their community. The only problem is, having lost too many of their fellow witches to the epidemic, the coven's protective powers have been seriously damaged. The Disco Witches need to find help--fast--if they're to save the island from an impending Great Darkness. 
Of monsters and mainframes
by Barbara Truelove

Demeter, an interstellar ship that shuttles humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri, keeps having her passengers murdered. It all started when an ancient and nasty vampire decided to come along for the ride. To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must stop this vampire and she joins forces with her own team of monsters: a werewolf, an engineer built from the dead, a pharaoh with otherworldly powers, and more. But will they be enough to defeat Dracula?
Middle Grade & Young Adult Reads
Out of step, into you
by Ciera Burch

Taylor and Marianna were each other’s whole world – best friends, running partners, practically sisters – until Marianna moved away and Taylor promptly ghosted her. When the former best friends turned rivals end up on the same cross-country team three years later, everything is a competition… and a reminder of past feelings, as well as blossoming new ones.
Shampoo unicorn
by Sawyer Lovett

After a hit-and-run leaves Greg, a closeted jock, unconscious, Brian, the secret host of a popular podcast, uses his platform to investigate the crime and reveal harsh truths about their small town, which inspires others to show support and organize a pride festival that gains national attention
Solo stan
by Talia Tucker

Two solo concertgoers, Kai and Elias, share a romantic summer night together when the concert is cut short by a blackout
I can't even think straight
by Dean Atta

Kai wants to come out but stays closeted, while Matt, his best school friend who's also queer, is afraid of repercussions from his parents, while nonbinary Vass feels Matt's a negative influence, in a novel about identity told in verse
The survivor wants to die at the end
by Adam Silvera

Paz Dario stays up every night, waiting for the Death-Cast call that would mean he doesn't have to keep faking his way through this lonely life. After a devastating day, Paz decides he's done waiting around for Death-Cast. If they say he's not dying, he'll just have to prove them wrong...Alano Rosa is heir to the Death-Cast empire that encourages everyone to live their best lives, but he doesn't feel in control of his own existence thanks to his father...Fate brings Paz and Alano together, but it's now up to the boys to survive the tragic trials ahead so no one dies at the end.
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 senior year begins, Grace is struggling to find herplace in early transition, new social circles, and a life without football. 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.
Summer girls
by Jennifer Dugan

A teen girl whose beachside town is being gentrified by wealthy vacationers falls in love with the daughter of a real estate developer.
Your final moments
by Jay Coles

Hakeem goes to Narcotics Anonymous meetings to keep his addictions in check. But when his best friend Miles kills himself, Hakeem finds the days harder and harder to get through. He loved Miles...and he's haunted by the fact that there might have been something he could have done to ease his friend's pain...Hakeem calls Miles's old phone number. And Miles not only calls back from beyond the grave, but has news to share: He didn't kill himself. He was murdered.
Lovesick Falls
by Julia Drake

Celia, determined to be the perfect friend, plans an idyllic summer with her two best friends in a secluded cabin, but hidden romantic tensions and new connections have the potential to turn her dream getaway into a complicated nightmare
Nobody in particular
by Sophie Gonzales

Seventeen-year-old Princess Rosemary of Henland, working to restore her reputation after a scandal that caused the death of her best friend, falls for new student Danni at her all-girls boarding school, but their growing relationship risks destroying herreputation and drawing the wrath of the palace
Amelia, if only
by Becky Albertalli

Amelia Applebaum thinks she is in love with Walter Holland, a moderately famous, chaotically bisexual YouTuber, so she drags her friends, including newly single, always-cynical, guitar-toting best friend Natalie, on a road trip to meet Walter
The uncertainty principle
by Joshua Davis

Seventeen-year-old Mia is stranded in the Caribbean after a meltdown at school prompts her parents to move the family onto a battered sailboat. They see it as a fresh start—Mia feels trapped in paradise with no internet, no friends, and no escape. Desperate to reconnect with her best friend and fix her life, she begins building a solar-powered satellite phone, scavenging deserted islands for parts and trying to ignore her anxious mother. As her mental health declines, Mia starts confiding in an imaginary friend. Just when she’s sure she needs to abandon her family to stay sane, two teens sail into her life: thoughtful Alby, who’s grown up at sea, and bold Nisha, vacationing on her dad’s megayacht. With the promise of friendship and maybe more, Mia is forced to confront who she is, what she wants, and how much of her past—and her future—she truly understands.
Lady's knight
by Amie Kaufman

Gwen is sick of hiding--hiding the fact that she's taken over her father's blacksmithing duties, hiding her attraction to girls, hiding her yearning for glory as a knight. Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle of Avington, queen bee of the castle, has never once considered hiding who she is--until now. She's been chosen as the grand prize in the Tournament of Dragonslayers, to be given to whichever knight can claim her hand. And for the first time in her life, she can't talk her way out of trouble. When Isobelle discovers Gwen's knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together--Gwen will joust in the tournament, disguised as Sir Gawain. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means... well, let's not go there. One thing's for sure: Falling in love was never the plan. But the best laid plans... are often trampled all over by dragons.
Vesuvius
by Cass Biehn

"In the final days of Pompeii, two boys--Felix and Loren--must grapple with closely-guarded secrets and untangle myth, magic, and memory to escape the burning city alive"
Kill creatures
by Rory Power

One year after Nan's three best friends disappear, no one is more surprised than her when one of them returns--because she is the one who killed them
Death in the cards
by Mia P. Manansala

When a high school tarot reader's latest client goes missing after a troubling reading, she must apply everything she has learned from her private investigator mother to solve a case of her own
Blades of furry. Volume 1
by Emily Erdos

Emile, a promising rookie in the high-stakes world of battle skating, learns the reigning champion Radu's secret, and must decide whether use it to take his rival down, all the while getting closer and closer to him.
Athlete is agender : true stories of LGBTQ+ people in sports
by Katherine Locke

A groundbreaking nonfiction collection of well-known LGBTQ professional athletes and queer authors telling stories about the feeling of belonging that comes with finding a sport that's yours.