Queer Gothic Horror, a Gay Fantasy Mystery, and More New LGBTQ Books

This came out in the UK in January, but now it’s out in the US, complete with beautiful sprayed edges. Concordia’s provinces have been at peace for a thousand years. In celebration, the 12 princes of the provinces — each with their own magical Blessing — are setting off on a voyage to the Goddess Mountains together. Ganymedes Piscero is the black sheep of the journey: he doesn’t have a Blessing, he’s queer, and he doesn’t take any of this seriously. When one of the princes is murdered, though, he’ll have to solve the case to keep himself — and all of Concordia — safe.

Nick left the Nebraska farm years ago, but now he’s received a letter from his abusive father, Carlyle, hoping for a deathbed reconciliation. Nick’s brother, Joshua, was disowned for marrying Emilia, a woman of Asian decent, and he received the same letter. Back at the farm, Nick and Emilia grow closer, but as they begin an affair, Nick suspects she has sinister — even supernatural — intentions. Interspersed are scenes from Nick’s adolescence, including his queer awakening and a haunting figure on the farm.

Vivi has entered a study abroad program in Vietnam to learn more about the homeland her parents refuse to talk about — and to sample all the food described in her favorite blog, A Bánh Mì for Two. Lan used to write A Bánh Mì for Two with her father, but stopped after his death. When the two meet, they bond over their love of food, and Lan agrees to show Vivi around Sài Gòn if Vivi helps her to start writing again.

Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie is having a PR problem. His messy breakup was all too public, and now he’s rehabilitating his image during a trip to the U.S. The plan is to take some pictures with puppies and keep his head down…it’s definitely not to fall for an American with pink hair that goes to his private school.

Danez Smith is a must-read poet who has been recommended in countless Book Riot lists. This is their newest, and I’ll let the publisher’s description summarize it: “Bluff is a kind of manifesto about artistic resilience, even when time and will can seem fleeting, when the places we most love ― those given and made ― are burning. In this soaring collection, Smith turns to honesty, hope, rage, and imagination to envision futures that seem possible.”

Speaking of must-read poets, this book explores the “life, work, and enduring impact of Audre Lorde.” It’s fitting that this biography is written by a poet. It invites us to move beyond Audre Lorde’s quotable essays and do a deep dive into her complex poetry to find a guide to how to navigate living in this world.