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LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Reads May 2026 |
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Better the Devil
by Erik J. Brown
A harrowing, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller about a queer homeless teen who, in a bid for safety, assumes the identity of a boy who went missing ten years ago...only to find that his new home is anything but a safe haven--from All That's Left in the World author Erik J. Brown! Perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson, and Ryan La Sala.When a runaway teen is arrested for shoplifting, he's desperate not to be sent back to the hyper-religious parents he knows will never accept him. While at the police station, he notices a resemblance to the aged-up photos of Nate Beaumont, a child who went missing ten years ago--and, in a moment of desperation, he takes Nate's identity in hopes that it will help him make a quick getaway. Before he can run again, Nate's family arrives and welcomes him home to a life he never had. As Nate watches and waits for his chance to escape, he finds that the Beaumonts are nurturing and loving, very different from his own parents.But soon unsettling things start to happen--vandalism, alarms going off in the middle of the night--and it becomes clear that someone knows Nate isn't who he says he is...and that the real Nate wasn't kidnapped, but murdered.As he starts to unravel the mystery, he gets ever closer to the devil he may know--and learns he might be their next victim.
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I Don't Wish You Well
by Jumata Emill
A teen investigative podcaster decides to dig into the truth behind a grisly murder spree that rocked his hometown five years ago, but soon discovers that this cold case is still hiding deadly secrets-- Provided by publisher.
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Soul of a Gentleman Witch
by David Ferraro
To win back his soul from the Devil, a cynical witch must decide if his own freedom is worth delivering a selfless boy to damnation. Perpetually seventeen, Callum the green witch is indebted to the Devil until he fulfills 666 tasks. When Lucifer offers Callum an unusual job that will end Callum's contract early and return his soul, Callum readily agrees. All Callum must do is ensure Augustus Auggie Sanderson makes it from London to New York by the next blood moon. This proves more difficult than Callum could've predicted as power-hungry witch kings and queens, blood witches, and even necromancers are also out to capture Auggie. To deliver Auggie on time and win back his soul, Callum will need the help of his black cat familiar, his human assistant (whom he accidentally turned into a frog), a four-armed, tally undead witch, and Auggie himself--who seems too good to have made a deal with the Devil. But if Auggie didn't make a deal with the Devil, what awaits him in New York? And if Auggie doesn't deserve his fate, is Callum willing to give up his own chance at freedom to save him?
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When I Was Death
by Alexis Henderson
Haunted by her sister's mysterious death, Roslyn joins a mysterious caravan of girls with whom her sister spent her last summer and who she discovers serve Death by reaping souls, forcing Roslyn to choose between finding closure or making a deadly bargain herself.
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Freddie and Stella Got Hot
by Maggie Horne
Jenny Han meets Mean Girls in Freddie and Stella Got Hot, Maggie Horne's YA rom com about getting revenge and falling in love.
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There's Always Next Year: A Good Morning America Book Club Pick
by Leah Johnson
Told in two voices, this is the story of Andy--a serious journalism student adamant about reinventing herself--and her influencer cousin Dominique--who is on the verge of securing a major deal--who navigate their own respective love stories over the New Year.
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No Charm Done
by Tori Anne Martin
May the best witch win in this sapphic enemies-to-lovers romcom, where rival witches hex for the affections of the new boy in school... but are vexed by their interest in each other. Welcome to Thornhaven, a quaint coastal town where witches hide in plain sight. Lily Allerton is descended from Thornhaven's most illustrious magical family. When her tarot cards tell her that acquiring a boyfriend is essential for a successful senior year, she decides to do whatever it takes to bag the cute new boy at school--including overcoming her total lack of interest in him. Determined to make her parents proud, appear normal (the fact that she's never liked a boy is a closely guarded secret), and stay on top of the popular-kid food chain, future valedictorian Lily makes sure that nothing stands in the way of her goals. But Chrysanthemum Quinn might. When Chrys moved to town three years ago, she had high hopes that she'd no longer be the outcast with weird powers--hopes that Lily quickly dashed by ostracizing her from the other witches at school. She was too poor, too grunge, and too sarcastic for Lily's tastes, with a major resting witch face. Nothing like a proper Thornhaven witch. Since then, she and Lily have despised each other and competed relentlessly. Chrys is going to beat Lily for valedictorian--and if Lily wants the new boy, then Chrys is going to win him first. But when Lily's and Chrys's attempts to hex each other create a curse that threatens the town, they'll have to put aside their animosity to stop it... and reckon with some deeply buried emotions. Because breaking the curse will take more than magic--it'll take acknowledging that it's not the boy either of them wants. This fresh, playful, witchy romcom from USA Today Bestselling author Tori Anne Martin (This Spells Disaster) is sure to appeal to fans of sapphic charmers like I Kissed Shara Wheeler and She Gets the Girl.
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Run Away with Me
by J. L. Simmonds
After Jessie discovers her abusive stepfather's murdered body, she and Brooke embark on an unexpected road trip where they encounter interesting characters and their friendship blossoms into something more.
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Worst-Case Scenario
by Ray Stoeve
An enemies-to-lovers romance about nemeses who are forced to share their school's Queer Alliance presidency following a tie in the election, new from beloved author Ray Stoeve Sidney has one goal for their junior year. Well . . . two, if they're being honest. Number one: become president of their school's Queer Alliance club. And number two: keep their self-diagnosed anxiety in check so their grades don't tank like they did last year. But when the election results in a tie with none other than Sidney's arch nemesis, the class clown Forrest, the two are forced to share the presidency until a revote at the end of term. Sidney expects Forrest to be insufferable, but it turns out that working together is . . . kind of nice? As surprising feelings for Forrest emerge, Sidney's techniques for managing their anxiety stop working. With the reelection approaching and assignments starting to pile up, will all this pressure be too much for Sidney to handle on their own?
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To the Death
by Andrea Tang
In this YA fantasy thriller from the author of These Deadly Prophecies, two teens are pitted against each other in a magical duel for revenge while they fight their growing attraction to each other. Dueling sapphic magicians collide in To the Death, a no-holds-barred story of love, rivalry, and revenge that kisses with a split lip. --Emily Skrutskie, author of The Abyss Surrounds Us Eighteen-year-old Samantha Chan wants only one thing: revenge for her brother's death in an illegal magical duel. Ever since that terrible day, she's been quietly working with legitimate dueling champion Lysander Rook and biding her time until she can take down her brother's killer: Mateus Blackwood. Tamsin Blackwood is trapped. She wants to make a name for herself in the magical dueling circuit, but she can't get away from the legacy of her father--and coach--Mateus Blackwood. When she receives a challenge from the undefeated Lysander and his assistant Sam, she jumps at the chance to earn enough fame and glory to finally escape her father's influence. Tamsin has no idea about Sam's scheming, and Sam plans to keep it that way. Despite herself, though, she can't help liking Tamsin, and the two girls quickly grow closer to each other than anyone else in their lives. But Sam won't let anything get in the way of her revenge--not even her heart.
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Pasta Girls
by Taylor Tracy
In this queer, contemporary, and neurodiverse spin on Romeo and Juliet from Stonewall Award Honor author Taylor Tracy, two New York City girls from warring restaurateur families befriend each other during the busiest week for their respective Italian eateries: the Feast of San Gennaro.--Provided by publisher.
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Everything about You
by Robby Weber
You never know what's going to happen, Milo. No matter how hard you try to control things, this is our summer in Paris, and it might just be unpredictable. There might just be boys. Milo is determined to have the most magical summer in Paris after winning an apprenticeship at a prestigious fashion house. The plan is simple: work hard, impress the team, and land a permanent job. With his best friend Celeste by his side, nothing will stand in his way of getting what he wants--especially not a boy. Enter Rhodes Hamilton: London's resident tabloid magnet and the son of a famous footballer. Milo is devastated to learn that Rhodes' connections have also landed him an apprenticeship, which means he's now the competition. Milo knows he has to win at any cost, so he can't risk getting close to Rhodes, no matter how nice and charming and cute he is . . .--
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