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May is one of the biggest publishing months of the year, and it’s delivering a deluge of fantastic queer books! Usually, I highlight ten of the most exciting titles, but I had to extend that to 20 this time—and that barely scratches the surface. My spreadsheet of queer books out this month has about 150 titles on it!
Whatever you’re in the reading mood for, there’s a new queer book out in May to match it. We’ve got trans literary fiction, dreamy F/F romances, bears in bakeries, sapphic dark academia, nonbinary time travel, queer memoirs and biographies, and even a bisexual picture book!
If you can’t get enough new queer books, I’ve included even more titles out this week at the end of this list as a bonus for All Access members. Memberships are $6 a month and get you access to all the bonus content across Book Riot’s many newsletters.
Now, let’s get into the books!
Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan (May 27)
Nicola Dinan’s debut novel Bellies received a lot of critical acclaim, including winning the Polari First Book Prize, and now she’s back with her sophomore novel, Disappoint Me. Max is a 30-year-old disillusioned trans poet who decides to reinvent her life after a fall down the stairs at a New Year’s Eve party. Vincent is a corporate lawyer who bakes in his free time; dating him seems to offer the perfect entry point into heteronormativity for Max. But he has baggage involving a whirlwind romance he had during his gap year in Thailand, and it threatens to upend Max’s attempt at “bourgeois domesticity.”
Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake (May 13)
I adore Ashley Herring Blake’s sapphic rom-coms, so you know anytime I see she has a new book coming out, it’s going directly onto my TBR. In Dream On, Ramona Riley, a small-town waitress who’s given up on her dreams of becoming a costume designer finds a possible second chance when a Hollywood film comes to town. Unfortunately, the lead actress also happens to be the first woman she ever kissed. Ramona remembers Dylan. Too bad Dylan doesn’t seem to remember her. The fact that Dylan’s now shadowing her at the restaurant to prepare for her role means there’s no getting away from each other or the instant chemistry between them. —Rachel Brittain
Bears & Bakeries by Dylan Drakes (May 25)
This is book two in the Sweet & Stocky romance series that started with Cubs & Campfires, which is one of my all-time favorite romance covers. In this one, Locky is an office worker who is avoiding his passions: both for baking and for romance. When he loses his job, though, he’s pushed out of his comfort zone… and into the arms of Benedict, a small business advisor. The description says: “Bears & Bakeries is a sweet and spicy hurt/comfort romance about following your dreams, overcoming your fears, and getting some spicy snuggles with beefy boys along the way. Expect cozy baking vibes, highly detailed and body positive spice, and a supportive romance that’s as sweet and warm as a freshly glazed donut.”
Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez (May 6)
When The Next Best Fling came out last year I knew I was going to have a new favorite author, but that was sealed when I saw the cover for Kiss Me, Maybe. Not just for the cover (though I mean, LOOK at it!), but also because of the indication of who the next protagonist was going to be, and I was excited AF to read her love story. Asexual librarian Angela has never been kissed. When she posts something declaring so on social media, she accidentally goes viral, leading to a scavenger hunt that would lead to the winner getting her first kiss. And who’s there to help her out? Bartender Krystal, who Angela has had a longtime crush on. But she’s off limits and uninterested in love. Right? —Jessica Pryde
Love in Focus by Lyla Lee (May 27)
What happens when two women who love love are paired together to do a project about that very subject? What happens when those two women are exes?
“Oh no” is right, friends.
Gemma and Celeste, an advice columnist and photographer, have been assigned to produce a piece on modern love. The two are thrown together, and all those feelings from college come flooding back. Gemma might have just gotten out of a long-term relationship, but she is ready to fall for Celeste again. Can they stay professional with all the history between them? —Jessica Pryde
Flirty Dancing by Jennifer Moffatt (May 27)
We love a pop culture referencing pun! A summer in the Catskills is Archer’s last hurrah before moving back to Ohio after an attempt at Broadway dreams. But he gets the surprise of a lifetime when his teenage crush is there as part of the same musical revue. Mateo is standoffish and unapproachable, but Archer is determined to get to know the real him. If only the whole dance crew weren’t building the kind of drama that deserves its own television show. —Jessica Pryde
Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity edited by Lee Mandelo (May 27)
Lee Mandelo, the Lambda, Nebula, Goodreads Choice, and Hugo Award finalist, has edited twenty-two speculative stories that explore the possibilities for queer and trans futures. Among the amazing contributors to the anthology are Bendi Barrett, Maya Deane, Sarah Gailey, Margaret Killjoy, Wen-yi Lee, Jamie McGhee, Sam J. Miller, and Neon Yang. —Liberty Hardy
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh (May 13)
This is a sapphic dark fantasy about the head of a magic school! As Director of Magic at Chetwood School, Doctor Walden is charged with overseeing the six hundred students and all aspects of the academy. When you’re one of the most powerful magicians in England, it should be an easy job. But there’s a demon infestation, possessed printers, vape imps, magical tattoos, and more, which is a lot to ask of any magician. —Liberty Hardy
Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang (May 6)
In this queer fantasy novella from the author of the Tensorate series, a legendary young dragonslayer must travel to a reclusive kingdom supposedly harboring a dragon. As Yeva searches for the dragon in Quanbao, she befriends the beautiful queen, who welcomes Yeva into the castle and makes her question her destiny. —Liberty Hardy
Spent: A Comic Novel by Alison Bechdel (May 20)
Alison Bechel is best known for her comics Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoir Fun Home, which was turned into a musical. In this autofiction metanovel, Alison Bechdel (the character, not the author) is having a bit of an existential crisis about her place in the world after her memoir about being the child of a taxidermist is adapted into an Emmy-winning TV show. The supporting characters also look suspiciously like characters from Dykes to Watch Out For. This looks like such a strange and interesting book, and I can’t wait to read it!
I Can’t Even Think Straight by Dean Atta (May 6)
Kai is a good kid. Despite knowing that his relationships to others are about being the reliable one, being the strong one, being the well-behaved one, Kai has no idea who he is to himself.
This is made complicated as Kai prepares to finally come out at school. His best friend Matt, also queer, has to stay closeted for fear of what would happen were his parents to find out. Matt asks Kai to do the same so they can keep each other safe.
But Vass, Kai’s other bestie, is proudly and openly nonbinary. Vass thinks Matt is a bad influence on Kai, but Vass isn’t exactly objective–they’re crushing hard for Kai.
Kai finds a lot of solace in writing his thoughts out, but when what he hoped was private writing becomes, err, less private than he’d like, he’s in a tough position of having to decide whether he owns who he is or he keeps things quiet in order to protect himself and others. —Kelly Jensen
Costumes for Time Travelers by A. R. Capetta (May 27)
A. R. Capetta’s agender YA romance The Heartbreak Bakery is one of my all-time favorite books, so I can’t wait to read their nonbinary YA fantasy that—at least judging from the cover—also looks delightfully cozy. Pocket is the first place that time travelers arrive at after leaving their time, and it’s also Calisto’s home. They love working at their grandmother’s shop, crafting era-appropriate costumes for time-travelers. But when Fawkes arrives in Pocket, he recognizes Calisto—from events that haven’t happened yet. Now, they’re on the run together to escape from the villains threatening to erase them, Pocket, and other time travelers.
And They Were Roommates by Page Powars (May 27)
From the author of The Borrow a Boyfriend Club comes a second chance YA romcom. Charlie starts at Valentine Academy for Boys determined to fly under the radar as the school’s only trans student. But then, disaster strikes: he’s placed with Jasper as his roommate: his ex-boyfriend, who broke his heart a year before he transitioned. Only…Jasper doesn’t recognize him. Charlie has a plan to get the room to himself before Jasper connects the dots, but it involves writing love letters with Jasper to other students. What could go wrong?
When Love Gives You Lemons by Steven Salvatore (May 13)
Fielder and Ricky’s large, loud, Italian-American families lived next door to each other growing up, and Fielder always knew the two of them would get married one day. But that plan was shattered when Ricky broke up with him, saying he needed to find himself. One year later, Fielder’s cousin is getting married to Ricky’s sister at a destination wedding in an Italian lemon grove, and Ricky and Fielder both attend. Can Fielder win Ricky back?
In Case You Read This by Edward Underhill (May 20)
In this YA romcom, two teen trans guys meet in the lobby of a motel in Nebraska. Arden is reluctantly moving with his family from Los Angeles to Winifred, Michigan, where he worries about losing queer community and support. Gabe is excited to relocate from small town Shelby, Illinois, to the city of Pasadena, California. During the one evening their paths intersect, Arden and Gabe form an unforgettable connection—but they leave only knowing each other’s first names. Can they find their way back to each other?
Beyond They/Them: 20 Influential Nonbinary and Gender-Diverse People You Should Know by Em Dickson, illustrated by Cameron Mukwa (May 6)
This illustrated middle grade nonfiction book explores the stories of nonbinary, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people from Janelle Monáe to Sarah Gailey, Judith Butler, Joshua Whitehead, and many more. These 20 biographies offer a “celebration of nonbinary joy” that shows that “there has been, and always will be, a place for people of all genders.”
The Bi Book by A.J. Irving and illustrated by Cynthia Alonso (May 20)
This is the first time I’ve seen a picture book specifically about bi people! The book discusses many different words that start with “bi,” like bicycle, binoculars, and biracial, and explains that it can sometimes mean two, or sometimes more than two, like when it comes to bi people: “Because some hearts love in a rainbow of ways.“
So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color by Caro De Robertis (May 13)
Caro De Robertis is an award-winning writer best known for their literary fiction, including queer novels like Cantoras and The Gods of Tango. In this nonfiction collection, they draw on hundreds of hours of interviews to create an oral history of a generation of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and Two-Spirit elders of color. This looks like a powerful work that will add to the canon of trans history.
Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange by Katie Goh (May 6)
Oranges are one of the most consistently popular and widely available fruits across the globe. That makes it easy to forget that at one point in history, they were considered a luxury indulgence reserved for kings and emperors. In Foreign Fruit, Katie Goh traces the history of the orange from rare curiosity to culinary staple. Additionally, Goh investigates her family history and queer identity through the lens of the orange, unpeeling and segmenting out her experiences growing up in Northern Ireland in a Chinese-Malaysian-Irish household. With historical, sociological, and personal reflections on the orange, Foreign Fruit is foodie nonfiction at its best. —Susie Dumond
Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline (May 20)
I’m having trouble trying to summarize Tourmaline’s accomplishments: TIME 100 Most Influential Person in the World awardee, Guggenheim Fellow, award-winning filmmaker, a permanent art installation in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and so much more. Now, she’s written the “first definitive biography” of one of the most prominent figures in LGBTQ history: Marsha P. Johnson. Published simultaneously is a picture book version: One Day in June: A Story Inspired by the Life and Activism of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline and illustrated by Charlot Kristensen.
35 New Queer Books Out This Week: May 6, 2025
As a bonus for All Access members, here are 35 more new queer books out this week, including a bunch of kids’ books about Pride, like Pride (Celebrations & Festivals) by Eric Huang and Amy Phelps.
Exclusive content for All Access members continues below.