May’s massive slate of new LGBTQ+ books begs the question: Is May the new June in publishers’ eyes? Publishers loooooove to give queer authors June pub dates, making Pride month a super stacked month for books, but May is looking just as stacked this year. In fact, we ended up choosing a top TEN for our top anticipated picks this month, the most we’ve chosen for a single month thus far. Below, find those top ten selections, followed by the rest of our anticipated LGBTQ reads for May 2025. Want to shout out something we didn’t include? Please do so! As a reminder: When you preorder or buy any of the books using the Bookshop.org links below, you’re supporting both independent bookstores AND independent queer media!

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Autostraddle’s Top Most Anticipated LGBTQ Books for May 2025

Are You Happy? Stories, by Lori Ostlund (May 6, Short Fiction)

NEW LORI OSTLUND STORY COLLECTION ALERT!!!! I’ve featured a Lori Ostlund short story in my Short Fiction Playlist series before, and I’m a huge fan of hers thanks to my wife sending me one of her stories when we were first dating. The new story collection comes enthusiastically recommended by my wife, so don’t take my word for it, listen to Ostlund superfan Kristen Arnett: “The stories in Are You Happy? are all imbued with what I call the Ostlund effect: sudden wonder, unexpected marvel, a quiet reckoning.”

milktooth, Jaime Burnet (May 6, Literary Fiction)

Okay, I AM judging this one by its cover, and the verdict is: STUNNING. Thematically, the novel’s premise is also speaking to me, centering an abusive sapphic relationship. Sorcha is 31 and wants to settle down and have a baby when she meets Chris, whose 90s floppy hair and grand romantic gestures belie a whole lot of red flags. Sorcha becomes more and more isolated, and Chris’ abuse worsens, especially after Sorcha becomes pregnant, leading Sorcha to reconnect with her estranged Aunt Agnes, a retired midwife.

Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange, by Katie Goh (May 6, Memoir)

The orange has a complicated history, which Katie Goh unravels exquisitely in this hybrid memoir that also tackles her life growing up queer in a Chinese-Malaysian-Irish household in the north of Ireland. The orange becomes symbol, metaphor, and guide in her long and winding journey to peel back the layers of her identity, cultural inheritance, and family history. I live in Florida, where the orange holds a lot of meaning, and I can’t wait to dive further into this one.

The King of a Rainy Country, by Brigid Brophy (May 6, Literary Fiction)

Yes, we’re putting a re-release as a top pick, because this rediscovered cult classic deserves a spotlight! This queer af novel was originally published in 1956!!! It’s being re-released by McNally Editions and centers 19-year-old Susan in London’s Fitzrovia, who takes a job with a shady bookseller to help pay rent. Amid the erotic books there, she discovers a nude photograph of her schoolgirl crush Cynthia. She and her flatmate then go on an adventure to find Cynthia, taking on a job as travel couriers in charge of a bunch of American tourists on a trip to Italy. A midcentury classic ahead of its time, the re-release has an intro written by lesbian author and critic Stacey D’Erasmo.

Sympathy for Wild Girls, by Demree McGhee (May 6, Short Fiction)

Another absolutely killer cover! This debut short fiction collection features surreal stories about queer Black women yearning for intimacy and belonging. The book challenges dominant ideas of girlhood and sounds like a wild, feral, desire-ridden read.

Sage, by Yaffa (May 15, Poetry)

This poetry collection from a queer, trans, disabled Palestinian poet offers poems on the deeply embedded impacts of transphobia, fascism, and everyday interpersonal violence. Yaffa also wrote Blood Orange, another collection about queerness, transness, and the violent displacement and genocide of Palestinians.

Hardly Creatures, by Rob Macaisa Colgate (May 20, Poetry)

My agenda to keep urging you to read queer poetry continues! Tin House consistently puts out some of the best poetry collections (hello: Tommy Pico, Morgan Parker, etc!), and I’m super looking forward to this debut release from Rob Macaisa Colgate, who is the managing poetry editor at the LGBTQ+ literary journal Foglifter. It promises poems that touch on queer love, friendship, and the disability community, and it’s structured visually and metaphorically as an accessible art museum with nine sections that function as “gallery rooms.” Queer poems full of formal play? Yes, please!

Aggregated Discontent: Confessions of the Last Normal Woman, by Harron Walker (May 20, Memoir)

From one of the great culture writers of our time comes this collection of sixteen essays blending memoir, cultural criticism, and investigative journalism. You can expect sharp humor and a lot of heart from Harron’s writing, and the book promises critiques of capitalism, white womanhood, and the erasure of trans women’s reproductive healthcare.

The Starving Saints, by Caitlin Starling (May 20, Horror)

This work of medieval horror follows three women in a besieged castle, where food is running low and there’s no sign of an impending rescue. I’m currently reading the excellent The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica (which was one of our March top picks), and I have a feeling The Starving Saints will be a delicious read to follow it. Based on the descriptions, it seems some cannibalism could be involved, and we all know that gets major points from me as a reader!

Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson, by Tourmaline (May 20, Nonfiction)

From Black trans artist-activist and certified Marsha P. Johnson scholar Tourmaline comes a deeply researched biography on an iconic figure in trans history and the trans rights movement today. Heading into Pride month, this is definitely essential reading.

And now enjoy the rest of our most anticipated LGBTQ books for May 2025!

May 6th

Love Story, by Afsana Mousavi (Literary Fiction)

This debut novel follows a trans woman who has moved to NYC and takes a wild journey through underground nightlife, fueled by her obsessive parasocial relationship with another trans woman and popular DJ.

The Manor of Dreams, by Christina Li (Mystery)

In this sprawling family mystery, the family members of the first Chinese actress to win an actress gather at her will reading expecting to inherit her Southern California estate, but it turns out the home has been left to another family that has resurfaced after decades of estrangement. Both families move into the mansion, which turns out to be quite haunted. The Chinese American gothic tale covers three generations in dual timelines.

The Vengeance, by Emma Newman (Fantasy)

Queer vampires? Queer pirates? How about both! The Vengeance is an adventure-fantasy novel set in Alexandre Dumas’s world haunted by vampires and featuring a queer romance.

Murder Land, by Carlyn Greenwald (YA Thriller)

Seventeen-year-old Billie finds herself in over her head when a man dies while riding the theme park ride she just got a promotion to operate. She enlists her friends to solve the mystery of who might be pinning his death on her. A theme park thriller (with a queer young romance) that’ll have you even more hesitant to get on a hastily constructed rollercoaster at the county fair!

A Year of Pride and Joy: LGBTQ+ Voices Share Their Passions, by Simon James Green and Ruth Burrows (Middle Grade)

Chockfull of uplifting and empowering LGBTQ+ tales for kids, this anthology features missives from singer Rina Sawayama, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley, and more. It’d be a good gift for the queer youth in your life ahead of Pride month.

Kiss Me, Maybe, by Gabriella Gamez (Romance)

This contemporary romance centers an ace librarian named Angela Gutierrez who uses her influencer platform to devise a scavenger hunt where the winner gets to be her first kiss. Hot bartender (and Angela’s longtime crush) Krystal Ramirez helps her arrange the scavenger hunt, and the two get closer and closer.

Fuel, by Rosie Stockton (Poetry)

These poems unearth the horrors of extractive capitalism alongside contemplations on love, loss, labor, and gender. Sign me the fuck up. National Poetry Month just ended, but you should be reading queer poetry all damn year.

Beyond They/Them: 20 Influential Nonbinary and Gender-Diverse People You Should Know, by Em Dickson and Cameron Mukwa (Nonfiction)

It’s pretty much all there in the title! The collection includes 20 biographies of influential nonbinary and gender-nonconforming individuals, including Janelle Monáe, Maia Kobabe, Vico Ortiz, Joshua Whitehead, Sarah Gailey, and more!

A Spell for Change, by Nicole Jarvis (Fantasy)

This historical fantasy novel set in post-World War One Appalachia features hauntings, witches, magical abilities including troubling premonitions for one character, and a town threatened by an evil force. All the makings of some great fantasy adventure storytelling! And there’s a sapphic romance to boot.

Edge of the World: An Anthology of Queer Travel Writing, edited by Alden Jones (Nonfiction)

The lineup for this anthology of queer travel writing! Alexander Chee, Putsata Reang, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, Denne Michele Norris, Nicole Shawan Junior, KB Brookins, Genevieve Hudson! Just to name a few favs!! The anthology bounces all over the world, with essays from Spain to Ukraine, Florida to New York City to Berlin, Mexico to Cambodia, and Russia to Senegal.

Site Specific: New & Selected Poems, by Elaine Sexton (Poetry)

This collection combines work from Elaine Sexton’s four books Sleuth, Causeway, Prospect/Refuge, and Drive. Whether you’re new to or familiar with Sexton’s work, this is one to dive into.

May 13

Portalmania, by Debbie Urbanski (Short Fiction)

This short fiction collection sounds absolutely unhinged (complimentary) and promises stories about revenge, murder, open marriages, asexuality, neurodiversity, and more.

The Emperor of Gladness, by Ocean Vuong (Literary Fiction)

New! Ocean! Vuong! Alert!!!! In this novel about love, labor, and loneliness in a post-industrial town in Connecticut, a 19-year-old boy becomes the caretaker to an elderly widow. You can expect gorgeous prose, formal play, and other hallmarks of Vuong’s singular style.

A Sharp Endless Need, by Mac Crane (Literary Fiction)

It’s star point guard Mack Morris’s senior year of high school, and Mack’s life has been upended by the recent death of their father, the arrival of transfer student Liv Cooper, and burgeoning substance use issues as they stare down the barrel of college signing. We loved I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself, and we can’t wait for Mac’s followup here. Basketball queers, this is the novel for you!

Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, by Alex L. Combs, Andrew Eakett (Graphic Novel/History)

Tracing trans and gender-nonconforming histories throughout centuries, this illustrated book features history lessons as well as illustrated conversations with modern activists, scholars, and creatives that add depth and context to figures and cultures of the past.

The Incandescent, by Emily Tesh (Fantasy)

A sapphic dark academia fantasy, here’s a book about the Director of Magic at Chetwood School in England trying to keep literal demons away from the school and her students.

Slaying You, by Michelle Gagnon (Thriller)

Grace and Amber initially connect because they’re both the victims of a psychopathic stalker/serial killer. Then they reconnect for a Vegas wedding…where another killer is targeting their friends.

The Rainbow Ain’t Never Been Enuf: On the Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity, by Kaila Adia Story (Nonfiction)

Black queer studies professor Kaila Adia Story exposes the whitewashing of queer history, appropriation of the Black and Latinx ball scene, and more in this sharp work of Black queer feminism that repositions Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ people at the forefront of queer pasts, presents, and futures.

Grand Slam Romance 3: Farewell to Babes, by Emma Oosterhouse and Ollie Hicks (Romance/Graphic Novel)

The third and final entry in the Grand Slam Romance series, this features softball throuple, Mickey, Astra, and Wolfgang in love and/or lust together.

One of the Boys, by Victoria Zeller (YA)

Grace has a girlfriend and is on the way to a Division I football scholarship when she comes out as a trans girl and struggles to find her place at school, especially now that she’s being pushed out of football.

Dream on, Ramona Riley, by Ashley Herring Blake (Romance)

From a very popular queer romance author comes this sapphic tale of a small-town waitress who gets her shot at her Hollywood costume designer dreams when a big-budget rom-com comes to shoot in her hometown. The film stars none other than the girl who was her first kiss.

The Intermediaries: A Weimar Story, by Brandy Schillace (Nonfiction)

Telling the oft-erased story of the Institute for Sexual Science in Germany, which spearheaded gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments, this book follows patient Brandy Schillace as she transitions. Scientific and surgical discoveries are documented here, including previously untranslated archival material from Berlin, blended with political, social, and cultural history writing about the beginnings of the trans rights movement.

Love in Exile, by Shon Faye (Essays)

In eight essays, Shon Faye examines and reimagines big questions about love through a radical and norm-defying framework. I’m hearing very good early buzz about this one, and FSG Originals stays putting out some of the best queer books of today. Faye is also the author of The Transgender Issue.

So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color, by Caro De Robertis (Nonfiction)

Twenty trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and Two-Spirit elders of color share their personal stories of self-discovery, community-building, and resistance in this oral history that combines narratives from hundreds of hours of interviews.

Shampoo Unicorn, by Sawyer Lovett (YA)

Brian is one of the mystery hosts of the podcast about rural queer life, Shampoo Unicorn. Greg’s hiding his queerness as the star of the high school’s football team. And Leslie is a trans girl living nearby who lives for the queer podcast. A tragic accident is going to bring the three teens colliding into each other.

May 20

WITCH, edited by Michelle Tea (Anthology)

This collection features works of prose, poetry, playwriting, and hybrid work, all in an attempt to explore the enduring archetype of the WITCH. Edited by Michelle Tea, it features work by Kai Cheng Thom, Ariel Gore, Myriam Gurba, Fariha Róisín, and more.

Spent: A Comic Novel, by Alison Bechdel (Graphic Novel)

Yes, Bechdel is back! In this cheeky work of political autofiction, a cartoonist named Alison Bechdel runs a pygmy goat sanctuary in Vermont and contends with the realities of climate change and a society on the brink of civil war. Middle-aged versions of her popular Dykes To Watch Out For characters make appearances, now living communally in Vermont.

Behooved, by M. Stevenson (Romantasy)

Set in a queer-normative world featuring lesbian knights and other queer side characters, this romantasy fairy tale centers Bianca, whose arranged marriage to a prince takes an odd turn when he’s accidentally magically cursed to become a horse by day and man by night.

Checked Out, by Katie Fricas (Graphic Novel)

A literature-loving lesbian with dreams of becoming a cartoonist lands a new job at a private library in NYC. The book is a love letter to libraries and lesbians, and I think we can all get behind that message!

Spitting Gold, by Carmella Lowkis (Historical Fiction)

Two estranged sisters are thrust back together for one last con, set in 1866 Paris. Gothic mystery and sapphic romance collide.

Pinky & Pepper Forever, by Eddy Atoms (Graphic Novel)

This is a special edition re-release of the cult hit graphic novel from 2018.

May 27

Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature, by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian (Nonfiction)

Queer ecological reads are entirely my jam these days, and I’m immediately hooked by this one, which sounds comparable in form and scope to Sabrina Imbler’s brilliant How Far the Light Reaches, similarly combining nature writing with personal queer narrative.

Disappoint Me, by Nicola Dinan (Literary Fiction)

Max decides to make some big changes in her life after falling down the stairs at a New Year’s Eve party, including giving heteronormativity the ol’ college try, getting into a relationship with Vincent, who has a corporate job, trad friends, and Chinese parents who never imagined him dating a trans woman. Messy relationships — familial and romantic — are at the heart of this novel.

Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity, edited by Lee Mandelo (Speculative Fiction)

This anthology features work from Margaret Killjoy, Sarah Gailey, Wen-yi Lee, and more, including multiple works in translation. These stories imagine what queer and trans life could look like in the future, using sci-fi as a tool to examine and excavate gender, sexuality, personhood.

Love in Focus, by Lyla Lee (Romance)

A sapphic rom-com where two exes are given a second chance at love, Love in Focus is about bisexual advice columnist Gemma Cho and renowned photographer Celeste Min.

Maybe This Will Save Me, by Tommy Dorfman (Memoir)

One thing about Tommy is she STAYS booked and busy, and lately she has been busy writing a book! Here, she writes on art, addiction, and self-discovery in a vulnerable and nonlinear narrative.

Before Gender: Lost Stories from Trans History, 1850-1950, by Eli Erlick (Nonfiction)

Thirty stories of lesser-known trans and genderqueer figures from the mid-19th to mid-20th century coalesce into this text on lost histories.

DC Pride: To the Farthest Reaches, by multiple authors (Graphic Novel)

This is the fourth iteration of DC’s special Pride comics anthology. Queer comics/superhero enthusiasts, this one’s for you!

Thank You For Calling the Lesbian Line, by Elizabeth Lovatt (Nonfiction)

Interested in the hidden history of lesbian phone lines? Well, good news for you: This book tackles that history in creative ways, AND we actually already wrote about the book right here on Autostraddle, so you can learn more ASAP.

Generation Queer: Stories of Youth Organizers, Artists and Educators, by Kimm Topping and Anshika Khullar (YA Nonfiction)

Queer and trans youth are often at the forefront of resistance movements, and this book takes a look at some of the young LGBTQ+ individuals using their voices and platforms for activism, art, education, and community-building.

What My Brother Knew: A Memoir, by Kristina Amelong (Memoir)

I literally got chills the first time I heard about this book, in which the author documents her brother’s accurate prediction of his own death, a tragedy that haunts her through her life as she heads down a self-destructive path and confronting death head on.

Hick: The Trailblazing Journalist Who Captured Eleanor Roosevelt’s Heart, by Sarah Miller (Nonfiction)

My love of Hick/Eleanor history is well documented, and I can’t wait for this new entry into the canon. Hick’s role in Eleanor’s life is so often erased by mainstream history texts, but books like this are doing the work to fill in the gaps!

Going Overboard, by Caroline Huntoon (Middle Grade Novel)

This is billed as a reverse-Parent Trap where two tweens have to trick their parents into breaking up. One of the tweens, Piper, is nonbinary, and her mom starts dating a woman whose son Colton conspires with Piper to try to get their lives back to normal by splitting up the two moms. Gay reverse Parent Trap!

One Summer in Miami, by Amber Rose Gill (Romance)

A spicy queer romance with a beachy setting, this book promises to satisfy lovers of several tropes, including enemies to lovers, opposites attract, one bed, and destination romance.