8 Queer Books Out This Week To Add To Your TBR
Last week, I asked you which 2024 queer book I should read next, and the results are in. The book that got the highest votes was Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo, which was very convenient for me, because I already had it out from the library! (Though, it is already overdue…) I’m a few chapters in and am intrigued, though I can see how the writing style is controversial: it’s quite matter-of-fact and sometimes feels abrupt. The concept is strong, though, so I’m on board to see what happens next.
Now, I have a few of the most exciting new queer books out this week to share with you. It’s the fifth Tuesday in a month, which generally means there are fewer new releases — the biggest releases tend to be on the first Tuesday of the month. While there aren’t a ton of queer books out today (there isn’t a bonus list of more like I usually have), the titles that are out are top-notch, from queer love in Iran to a sapphic historical mystery set during the Harlem Renaissance to an F/F space opera, essays by a renowned trans writer, queer YA horror, and more.
New LGBTQ Releases This Week
Boys of Love by Ghazi Rabihavi, translated by Poupeh Missaghi (Gay Fiction)
This book was originally published in Farsi in the UK, and it was banned in Iran. It was then translated into French, and now it’s available in English. It follows two men falling in love during the Iranian Cultural Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. They leave their village to look for a place to be together safely in a country where homosexuality is punishable by death.
A Lethal Lady (Harlem Renaissance #3) by Nekesa Afia (Sapphic Historical Mystery)
This is the third book in the Harlem Renaissance Mystery series, which started with Dead Dead Girls. The first book follows Louise as she tries to run from her past and enjoy her life with her girlfriend, but when young Black women are murdered outside the speakeasy she works for, she’s reluctantly pulled into the investigation. By book three, Louise thinks she’s escaped all that by living in Paris, but then she receives a letter from an old friend in Harlem who sends her on a search for a missing young woman.
Peerless (Novel) Vol. 1 (Peerless: Wu Shuang) by Meng Xi Shi (M/M Historical Mystery)
This is a new danmei/Boys’ Love series from the author of the very popular Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu series — and they’re set in the same universe. Originally published in Chinese, this historical wuxia series is about two rival investigators who have to join forces to solve the case of the murders of the envoy from the Kingdom of Khotan, and the theft of the precious jade they were delivering. As the two work together, their animosity turns into something else entirely.
Larger than Love (Big Boys of Gilroy #1) by Jole Cannon (M/M Romance)
There’s not enough fat men in M/M romance! This cover delights me. Bernard feels like he’s doomed in relationships. He’s 35, gay, fat, hairy, and his previous relationships went poorly. Then he reunites with his childhood friend Rory, who is struggling to reconcile his religious beliefs with his queerness. As they fall for each other, they’ll both have to decide if they’re willing to take the risk on love.
Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard (F/F Science Fiction)
From the author of The Tea Master and the Detective, Fireheart Tiger, and many more comes a new sapphic SFF story. In this space opera, navigator clans guide their ships through the area of space known as the Hollows, where deadly Tanglers live. When a Tangler escapes the Hollows for the first time, each clan sends a representative to hunt it down. Việt Nhi of the Rooster clan and Hạc Cúc of the Snake clan are forced to work together on this mission, and their prickly personalities clash — until they don’t.
The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford (Bisexual Girl, Aromantic/Asexual Guy YA Contemporary)
This is a platonic love story between two queer disabled teens! Casey has always dreamed of being a singer — but now she’s had sudden, profound hearing loss and is mourning losing her connection to music. Hayden dreams of being on Broadway, but his family all thinks he’ll follow in their soccer star footsteps, and his Generalized Anxiety Disorder means he hasn’t been able to tell them the truth. Casey and Hayden bond over their shared love of music, and soon they’re sharing the secrets they haven’t been able to tell anyone else.
The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington (Sapphic YA Horror)
Devon is determined to have the Best Summer Ever with her twin Drew before she heads off to college a year early (the show-off!) But when they play with a Ouija board, they unleash a demon that is hunting them down…in horror movie order. It seems to play by the same rules as the Scream movies. Devon knows that means she, as the blonde, will die first. Her crush, Yaya, is destined to be the final girl. But Devon refuses to play by their rules, and she’s using her horror movie knowledge to try to keep them all alive.
When Monsters Speak: A Susan Stryker Reader edited by McKenzie Wark (Trans Lesbian Nonfiction)
This is a collection of essays by one of the trailblazing writers in trans studies, Susan Stryker. It follows her work from the 1990s to today, including excerpts from newsletters and zines. The topics covered range from BDSM to queer theory, media studies, and more.
For more new releases, check out our New Books newsletter and the New Release Index — you can even filter by queer books!
Queer Bookish Goodies
I wanted to buy this Hopeless Aromantic Tote Bag (“Why fall in love when you can read?”) for my aro best friend, but it doesn’t ship to Canada, which is very rude. It’s perfect for the U.S. aro reader, though! $23
Which queer books are on your TBR this week? Let’s chat in the comments!
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