On Saturday, I gave you control of my TBR list again: Which queer book from the first half of 2024 should I read next? I’m behind on the new releases I wanted to read this year, so I need your help prioritizing.
This week, my pile of books I still want to read is growing at an uncomfortably fast pace. I just can’t resist a queer book about a time loop, and I didn’t know I needed a story about a sweet encounter with a monastery robbery in my life, but clearly I do.
New LGBTQ releases this week
Unfortunately, this week’s new releases are disproportionately by white authors. It’s long past time for publishers to prioritize the stories of queer people of color. In case you missed them, check out these amazing new queer books by authors of color: Toward Eternity by Anton Hur, Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus, The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron, Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh, and many more!
The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl by Bart Yates (gay novel)
At 96, Isaac Dahl sits down to write his autobiography, telling the story of 12 pivotal days in his life, like the day he and his sister survived an avalanche by hiding under an upturned bathtub, and the days he spent with the loves of his life. Part historical fiction, part contemporary, this story begins in Utah in the 1920s and follows the life of a gay man over nearly a century.
Nicked by MT Anderson (Queer Guy Historical Novel)
One of my favorite YA books I’ve ever read is Feed by MT Anderson, so I’m really excited to pick up a queer adult book by this author! Set in Italy in 1087, it’s about treasure hunter Tyun, who attempts to pull off a heist to steal the bones of Saint Nicholas and deliver them to Brother Nicephorus, who believes the holy relic secretes a healing fluid that will cure the city of Bari of the plague. It promises to be a “swashbuckling saga, a medieval noir novel, a meditation on the miraculous, and a monastic meet-and-greet.”
You Had Me at Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky (M/M Romance)
Julien Boire has a plan to get away from his small Pennsylvania hometown. He’s about to start a wine-making course that will make him a master sommelier. All he has to do is manage his obsessive-compulsiveness, including avoiding distractions—like Greg, the restaurant’s new employee, a charming TikTok bartender. Greg and Julien plan happy hour events together, and although both are determined not to date, they make a no-strings-attached sex pact. But despite his best efforts, Julien begins to hope for the very thing they promised they wouldn’t have: a real relationship.
Remnants of Filth: Yuwu (Novel) Volume 4 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (M/M Historical Fantasy Novel)
This is the fourth of five books in this historical fantasy danmei/boys’ love series. Mo Xi and Gu Mang were once both commanders in the army. They were best friends and secret lovers until Gu Mang betrayed them and joined the opposing side. When he returns to the kingdom defeated, Mo Xi finds that he cannot go through with the traitor’s execution. The subsequent volumes deal with crime stories, lost memories, the time mirror, a demon-infested island, and more.
Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield (Queer YA Speculative Fiction)
Phoebe has been living in a loop for a month, repeating the same day over and over again while she waits for a doctor’s appointment the next day that never comes. Then Jess bursts into her life—literally in a minor car accident—and gets her stuck in the loop. Jess convinces her to take advantage of the inconsequential aspect of her predicament and go on adventures together. But when Phoebe falls in love with her—again, because she’s had a crush on Jess since childhood—she fears Jess is only paying attention to her because of the time loop. And if they ever get out of this loop, will Phoebe’s doctor take her chronic pain seriously? This book stars two queer disabled Jewish teens, and it’s a Reese Witherspoon Book Club LitUp Pick!
So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky (Queer YA Horror)
This has to be one of the most beautiful and disturbing covers I have ever seen. Nell is a high school student spending the summer with her friends on a private island in Florida. It sounds idyllic until a curse causes the island to be shrouded in poisonous mist and an invisible beast to stalk them within. Nell and her friends reveal that they have terrible secrets and together they must use their own power to not only escape the island but also face the trauma that haunts them. This is a “queer, feminist take on Stephen King’s The Fog.“ Content warning for physical harm.
What Does the K Stand For?: A BBC Radio 4 sitcom about growing up black, gay and funny in 1980s London by Stephen K. Amos and Jonathan Harvey (gay memoir audiobook)
As the subtitle suggests, it’s a semi-autobiographical show about comedian Stephen K. Amos, who grew up black, gay and a comedian in 1980s London. It’s a full-cast BBC production that follows Stephen K. Amos’ journey from a broken childhood as one of eight children, through his dramatic teenage years, to his first foray onto the stage and his coming out. It promises to be “stand-up meets sitcom.”
✨ Subscribers will find 9 more LGBTQ books coming out this week at the end of this post! ✨
You can find more new releases in our New Books newsletter and in the New Releases Index – you can even filter for queer books!
The Lesbian Witch Art Print by TheArtOfFelixDeon
This is how we became witches made me think of queer witches, so enjoy this print featuring lesbian witches! Felix d’Eon has so many historical queer prints in this style that I love. $30+
That’s it from me! Until next time you can find me on my sapphic book blog Lesbrary. You can hear me on All booksand you can also read my Book Riot posts and subscribe to my other Book Riot newsletter, Read Harder.
Happy reading!
Daniela
9 more LGBTQ books coming out this week
Bonus content for paying subscribers continues below.
Which one is on your TBR list? Let’s chat in the comments!
The comment section is moderated according to our Community GuidelinesPlease check them out so we can maintain a safe and supportive reader community!
