Welcome to our monthly guide to our Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Book Releases! Did you read and love anything we highlighted last month? Let us know! And of course, let us know if you want to shout out any September releases we didn’t include below! Up top, we’ve got our eight TOP picks for the month, followed by the full month’s slate of releases we’re anticipating the most. Gabe Dunn contributed research to this month’s lineup, which includes a range of genres and definitely some evidence that horror season is right around the corner. Enjoy!

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Autostraddle’s Top Most Anticipated LGBTQ Books for September 2025

To the Moon and Back, by Eliana Ramage (September 2, Literary Fiction)

If you pick up just one book from this list, make it this one. Eliana Ramage’s debut novel is about a queer Cherokee young woman who wants to become an astronaut and spans a wide range of time (three decades) and space and tells an intergenerational tale full of familial drama, heartbreak, self-discovery, ambition, complex identity, and more. I’m hoping to publish a full review of this one later this month, so stay tuned.

Algarabía, by Roque Raquel Salas Rivera (September 2, Poetry)

This Puerto Rican trans epic follows Cenex, a trans being living in a colony of Earth in a parallel universe. The book combines poetics and speculative fiction and contends with trans erasure in colonial and anti-colonial literary canons.

Hot Wax, by M.L. Rio (September 9, Literary Fiction)

The main character in this novel is a queer woman in her forties. The story begins in the summer of 1989, when Suzanne is just 10 and drawn to the wild world of her father’s band tour. After witnessing an act of violence, she spends the next 29 years trying to fade away and live a “normal” quiet life in the suburbs. But her father’s death brings the past blazing back, and she hits the road.

Cannon, by Lee Lai (September 9, Graphic Novel)

We’re big fans of Lee Lai’s work, so we’re definitely excited about this new graphic novel about best friends Cannon and Trish who love cooking dinner together and watching niche Australian horror films. The two queer second-generation Chinese nerds from the suburbs of Montreal have been there for each other since high school.

You Weren’t Meant To Be Human, by Andrew Joseph White (September 9, Horror)

Queer and trans horror with a transmasc protagonist, You Weren’t Meant To Be Human is set in a version of Appalachia facing alien invasion. This is the debut adult novel from the trans author of the bestselling dystopian YA novel Hell Followed with Us.

Beings, by Ilana Masad (September 23, Literary Fiction)

A beautifully braided narrative unfolds here, centering an interracial couple who encountered possible extraterrestrial life during an event in 1961. One thread of the novel concerns the husband and wife and the aftermath of their trauma. A second thread looks at queer science-fiction writer Phyllis writing letters to her beloved Rosa. And the third thread is set in present day and follows a chronically ill archivist trying to understand a childhood encounter and becoming increasingly obsessed with Phyllis’s letters and the testimony of the 1961 alien abductees.

I Am You, by Victoria Redel (September 23, Historical Fiction)

A lesbian romance set in 1600s Amsterdam, this novel follows a young girl, Gerta, who disguises herself as a boy to work for a family. The daughter of the family, Maria, catches her and insists she joins her to the city where she’ll be part of the patriarchal art world. Gerta becomes Maria’s muse and lover, but as her own artistic talents grow, things get complicated. The narrative is a queer reimagining of the life of still life painter Maria van Oosterwijck.

Best Woman, by Rose Dommu (September 30, Literary Fiction)

A trans woman returns home to be the “best woman” in her brother’s wedding, traveling from her life in New York to Boca Raton, Florida. Julia thinks she’s handling it all pretty well. She can do a week back home. But then she learns the maid of honor is the girl she crushed on in high school, and when she tells her a little lie, things quickly spin out of control.

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

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September 2

Daddy Issues, by Eric C. Wat (Short Fiction)

This collection of queer Asian American short stories introduces the reader to characters throughout Los Angeles grappling with things like career, family, parenting, money, mental health, gentrification, and more.

Moonflow, by Bitter Karella (Horror)

New queer horror! With an alluring premise and a gorgeous cover! Moonflow features a trans woman protagonist named Sarah, a magical forest, and chills and thrills. It looks like a very immersive new work of literary horror and promises lots of queerness.

Every Step She Takes, by Alison Cochrun (Romance)

Beloved sapphic romance novelist Cochrun is back, this time with a story about 35-year-old Sadie, who ends up on a tour along Portugal’s Camino de Santiago that she doesn’t realize at first is specifically for queer women. Having just recently been hit with a bout of gay panic and awkwardly connecting with her airplane seatmate who turns out to be on the tour as well, this complicates things for dear Sadie.

Crime Ink: Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons, edited by John Copenhaver and Salem West (Anthology)

The month brings another “be gay, do crime”-themed anthology, with this one attempting to rectify the fact that in 2023, crime fiction anthologies featured over 500 stories but less than 1% were written by LGBTQ+ writers. So if you’re gay and you like crime fiction, check out this anthology!

Rules for Fake Girlfriends, by Raegan Revord (YA Romance)

A queer fake dating trope is at the heart of this debut rom-com from Young Sheldon actor Raegan Revord.

The True Story of Raja the Gullible, by Rabih Alameddine (Literary Fiction)

Set in Beirut, this novel contains many queer characters, including 63-year-old protagonist Raja who shares a tiny apartment with his octogenarian mother. Raja receives an all-expenses-paid writing residency in America and embarks on a new adventure of self-discovery and reckoning with family, home, and trauma.

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September 9

The Fame Game, by Ronica Black (Romance)

If you’re a fan of queer romances with celebrity characters, you’ll want to check out this one about a grown-up former child actress just getting out of rehab whose manager sets her up with a heartthrob actor but who ends up more interested in his sister.

Everything She Does Is Magic by Bridget Morrissey (Romance)

For gays who love Halloween, this rom-com is about a regular girl named Darcy Keller and a witch named Anya Doyle who team up to help each other with their own ambitions.

Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee (Historical Fiction, Romance)

Two complete opposite women decide the same duke is the ideal man to marry —which they each have their own reasons for. But instead of merely competing for his hand, they find themselves falling for each other.

The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish (Fantasy, Romance)

Transmasc character Jamie Wendon-Dale designs haunted houses in New Orleans for a living but doesn’t believe in ghosts. This becomes complicated when their path crosses with Edgar Lovejoy, who has quite literally been haunted by ghosts his entire life. Opposites WILL attract in this cozy paranormal romantasy.

The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez (Fantasy)

Sapphic romance and immersive folklore collide in this tale about a healer’s daughter who finds a monster in the woods.

Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela (Literary Fiction)

The narrator of this polyamory novel has a husband, two children, a comfortable life, and a hot young boyfriend. But the boyfriend dumps him, and heartbreak is difficult to navigate as he butts up against a world that still doesn’t fully have the tools and language for polyamorous relationships. The story is full of heart and humor.

Girl Next Door by Rachel Meredith (Romance)

A freelancer is shocked to discover that a bestselling romance novel written under a pen name appears to be a love story about her and her childhood neighbor, who is likely the real author behind the book. So she returns to her childhood hometown to try to figure out if that really is the case.

The People’s Project: Poems, Essays, and Art for Looking Forward, curated by Saeed Jones and Maggie Smith (Nonfiction)

Authors and poets Saeed Jones and Maggie Smith have combined their brilliant brains to curate this collection of work that looks to our collective future. Contributors include Alexander Chee, Chase Strangio, Tiana Clark, Hala Alyan, Danez Smith, Ada Limon, and more.

Nearly Roadkill: Queer Love on the Run, by Kate Bornstein and Caitlin Sullivan (Sci-Fi, Romance)

This 1990s cyber-romance cult classic is getting a special re-release! In it, characters Scratch and Winc meet and fall in anonymous love online. The novel offers a prescient critique of the internet, capitalism, and government control. Readers are likely to find it just as urgent and relevant now as it was then.

A Hexcellent Chance to Fall in Love, by Ann Rose (Romance)

Here’s a paranormal romance that sort of riffs on the magical appearing/disappearing act of Spirit Halloween with its tale of The Dead of Night, a Halloween store that shows up in a new location before Halloween undetected and then promptly vanishes two days after the holiday. Pepper White knows the store’s secret, particularly because she suffers from its same curse and only appears when the store does. Soon, she hopes to extend her time in the world after meeting a charming new customer in Christina Loring. I’m truly charmed by this entire premise.

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September 16

Runs In The Blood, by Matthew J Trafford (Short Fiction)

Satirical and at times speculative, this collection of super gay short stories includes tales of a lesbian mother fretting over taking her daught to a princess party, a grieving man going on a date with a centaur, and a queer couple using unconventional methods to make a baby. It sounds like quite the romp. I know, I know, don’t judge it by this, but it’s safe to say I’m obsessed with the cover.

The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar, by Sonora Reyes (YA)

From the same author of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School comes this new YA release about a young bipolar queer boy named Cesar Flores.

A Murderous Business, by Cathy Pegau (Historical Fiction)

A mystery set in 1912, A Murderous Business is about Margot Baxter Harriman, a woman proprietor who finds her deceased father’s former assistant dead in the office and suddenly has a murder mystery to solve.

Slashed Beauties, by A Rushby (Horror)

Body horror abounds in this revenge tale about three hyperrealistic wax figures of women coming to life to murder the men who have done them wrong. Set in both present-day Seoul and 1763 London, the past and present intersect and merge.

Teenage Girls Can Be Demons, by Hailey Piper (Short Fiction, Horror)

The author of the recent erotic-horror novel A Game in Yellow now delivers a collection of 13 stories full of queer horror. This sounds extremely up my alley, and maybe it’s up yours, too!

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September 23

Bi The Way, I Love You: A Charity Anthology of Diverse Bi+ Love Stories, by multiple authors (Anthology)

Raising money for organizations like Rainbow Railroad, this anthology features nine bi love stories from nine bi writers.

Scarlet Morning, by ND Stevenson (Childrens, Fantasy)

The bestselling author and illustrator of Nimona (not to mention the showrunner for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) is back with an illustrated kids book about friendship and adventure.

Try Your Worst, by Chatham Greenfield (YA Romance)

Combining YA romance and cozy mystery, here’s a tale of two rivals duking it out to be valedictorian. But then they’re accused of a series of serious pranks and have to team up to find out who’s framing them.

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September 30

Thank You, John, by Michelle Gurule (Memoir)

This debut memoir, described as a tragi-comedy of errors, follows Michelle Gurule’s life as a stripper and sugarbaby in 2010s Denver. I love the cover, and it’s adorned with blurbs from queer authors I really trust, so I’ll definitely be diving into this one.

The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet,by Melinda Taub (Fantasy)

A queer mishmash of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein, this novel reimagines Mary Bennet as a wild experimenting scientist who makes a monster to save herself from a spinster fate.

The Sovereign, and Fate’s Bane, by C.L. Clark (Fantasy)

We’ve got a C.L. Clark twofer to close out the month, including the conclusion to her queer political fantasy trilogy and a tragic sapphic adventure novel.

The Transition, by Logan-Ashley Kisner (Horror)

A transmasc teen is recovering from top surgery when he’s inconveniently bit by a werewolf.