2023 Lambda Literary Award Finalists

Exquisitely compassionate and witty, Big Girl traces the intergenerational hungers and desires of Black womanhood, as told through the unforgettable voice of Malaya Clondon.

In her highly anticipated debut novel, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan explores the perils—and undeniable beauty—of insatiable longing.

Growing up in a rapidly changing Harlem,... Read more »

Startling stories center the bodies, memories, myths, and relationships of Asian American women in “a voracious, probing collection, proof of how exhilarating the short story can be” (The New York Times Book Review)—from the National Book Award “5 Under 35” honoree and author of Bestiary

“Wise, energetic, funny, and wild, Gods of Want displays a... Read more »

"Was desire something like being possessed by a nightmare?"

Fernanda and Annelise are so close they are practically sisters: a double image, inseparable. So how does Fernanda end up bound on the floor of a deserted cabin, held hostage by one of her teachers and estranged from Annelise?

When Fernanda, Annelise, and their friends from the Delta... Read more »

Nightcrawling

“At 17, Kiara has had more difficulties than most. Forced to drop out of high school to find work to avoid eviction, she finds getting a job next to impossible. She falls into sex work, which leads her to a sex trafficking ring run by the Oakland police. Mottley presents these circumstances without flinching or hand wringing. Her astute observations of Oakland and the people Kiara encounters reveal a deep understanding of human nature. There are no heroes in this story, Kiara survives by focusing on her chosen family and learning to disregard those who don't reciprocate her love.”

Amy, A Great Good Place for Books

Leah is changed. Months earlier, she left for a routine expedition, only this time her submarine sank to the sea floor. When she finally surfaces and returns home, her wife Miri knows that something is wrong. Barely eating and lost in her thoughts, Leah rotates between rooms in their apartment, running the taps morning and night. As Miri... Read more »

In this stunning debut from one of Nigeria's most exciting young writers, the stakes of love meet a society in flux. These nine stories of queer male intimacy brim with simmering secrecy, ecstasy, loneliness, and love in their depictions of what it means to be gay in contemporary Nigeria. A man revisits the university campus where he lost his... Read more »

My Government Means to Kill Me

“Wonderful and lively coming of age novel set in 1980s NYC. I loved how vibrant all of the characters and the city were. It also explored some deeper, lesser explored angles of the AIDS pandemic.”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE

In the near future, a young woman finds her mother's body starfished on the kitchen floor in Queens, and sets on a journey through language, archives, artificial intelligence, and TV for a way back into herself. She begins to translate an old manuscript about a group of female medical students—living through a... Read more »

LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST“A brilliant debut novel.” —Joyce Carol OatesA brother and sister’s paths diverge in the wake of political upheaval: one forced to leave, one left behindOn a small Pacific island, two siblings tune in to a breaking-news radio bulletin. It is 1985, and an Indian grocer has just been attacked by nativists aligned with... Read more »

2023 Lambda Literary Award Finalist
2023 Bram Stoker Award Finalist for Superior Achievement in a Novel

For fans of Mexican Gothic, from three-time Bram Stoker Award–winning author Gwendolyn Kiste comes a novel inspired by the untold stories of forgotten women in classic literature—from Lucy Westnera, a victim of Stoker’s Dracula, and Bertha... Read more »

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion

“Growing up in Corona, Queens with her loving and supportive parents, Razia struggles to balance her love for her parents and her Pakistani-American heritage with her growing self-knowledge and desire for independence. As her sexual awakening and her need to follow her own heart pull her farther from her parents’ plans for her future, inevitable conflict arises. This well-crafted coming-of-age story peopled with wonderful characters ends perfectly, leaving questions and possibilities for both the listener and Razia.”

Nancy, Raven Book Store

In this “dangerously hilarious” novel (Los Angeles Times), a trans woman reenters life on the outside after more than twenty years in a men’s prison, over one consequential Fourth of July weekend—from the author of the PEN/Faulkner Award winner Delicious Foods.

Carlotta Mercedes has been misunderstood her entire life. When she was pulled into a... Read more »

Lush and uncompromising stories about characters crossing geographical borders and gender binariesThe nine stories in Morgan Thomas’s shimmering debut collection, Manywhere, witness Southern queer and genderqueer characters determined to find themselves reflected in the annals of history, at whatever cost. As each character traces deceit and... Read more »

Wrath Goddess Sing

“This book was so good that I’ve decided to accept it as my version of 'canon' Ilead - trans woman Achilles, devious Helen, badass Amazons, and the richest prose I’ve read in some time. This is a masterwork of trans historical reimagination, vibrant and sensual and fantastic in all senses of the word. ”

Miriasha, Phoenix Books

Mysterious disappearances. An urban legend rumored to be responsible. And one group of friends determined to save their city at any cost. Stranger Things meets Jordan Peele in this utterly original debut from an incredible new voice.

For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old... Read more »

Lakelore

“Written in the exquisite lyrical manner that Anna-Marie McLemore does better than anyone, Lakelore is a vibrant and sensitive exploration of gender identity and neurodivergence. Their writing is always luminous and honest; their use of magical realism is powerful; and their deftness and care in writing about ADHD, Dyslexia, bullying, trans, and non-binary lives is excellent. I listened on Libro.fm and it was a delightfully multi-sensory experience between the illustrative writing and talented voice actors.”

Ashleigh, Wellesley Books

National Book Award Finalist * William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist * Goodreads Finalist for Best Teen Book of the Year * Walter Honor Award Winner * Pura Belpré Honor BookA sharply funny and moving debut novel about a queer Mexican American girl navigating Catholic school, while falling in love and learning to celebrate her true self.... Read more »

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet

“Beautifully written and so important. Ferguson fits so many things into this book - discovering the asexual spectrum, inherited trauma, discrimination, and violence in relationships (and so much more). I also LOVED the beautiful descriptions of unique ice cream flavors and inclusion of water polo!”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

A bold, timely novel about speaking up and coming out as parents lobby to ban a beloved book from the school curriculum by New York Times-bestselling author David Levithan.

When Donovan left his copy of The Adventurers on the kitchen counter, he didn't think his mom would read it—much less have a problem with it. It's just an adventure novel... Read more »

In this funny and hugely heartfelt novel from the Newbery Honor-winning author of Too Bright to See, a sixth-grader's life is turned upside down when she learns her dad is trans

Annabelle Blake fully expects this school year to be the same as every other: same teachers, same classmates, same, same, same. So she’s elated to discover there’s a new... Read more »