Terry Dactyl is a trans woman raised by lesbian moms who comes of age in the 1980s. She moves from Seattle to New York City and builds a community in the queer and gender-bending club scene, even as it is torn apart by the AIDS epidemic. At her art gallery job, she tries to blend her worlds of elite art and club culture together.

20 years later, Terry moves back to Seattle during the COVID-19 pandemic, searching for community once again.

This is one of the biggest literary fiction releases of the year, and it’s a finalist for the National Book Award. The unnamed main character of Palaver moved to Japan partly to escape his family: his homophobic brother and the mother who takes his side. He’s built a found family in his new home, though his love life is complicated: he’s sleeping with a married man. Ten years since he last spoke to his estranged mother, she shows up at his door, wanting to make amends. Slowly, over many difficult conversations, they begin to see each other more clearly.

In this Dutch coming-of-age novel, Jip is a teenager struggling with an assignment he needs to complete during spring break: a self-portrait. The problem isn’t the drawing; he’s an artist. But he keeps getting distracted, thinking about beetles, an upcoming party, the new boy in class, and the boy who changed his life. The publisher says, "Ludwig Volbeda writes as he draws: sensitively, intimately, and with striking observations and metaphors that gradually give the reader insight into Jip’s innermost thoughts. What results is a magnificent self-portrait in words (and line art) and one of the more exquisite queer coming-of-age stories in years."

I love Jesse Q. Sutanto’s cozy mysteries, Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, so I’m thrilled to see her dipping her metaphorical toes into historical fiction. In Next Time Will Be Our Turn, Sutanto explores complicated family relationships and second chances. When Izzy Chen reluctantly shows up to her family’s annual Chinese New Year Celebration only to see her grandmother walk in with a stunning woman, everything she thought she knew about her family is turned on its head. Izzy’s reaction reminds Magnolia Chen of the girl she once was, prompting her to share her story of being sent to LA from Jakarta and finding herself caught between familial expectations and the girl she loved. —Rachel Brittain

I love how creative paranormal romances are getting. This one pairs Samantha, who is determined to win back her ex, with Daphne, an actual demon. Samantha makes a deal with Daphne, exchanging her soul for wishes. Daphne, in turn, hopes she’s one step closer to being free of her own deal. As the two grow close, they realize their priorities are changing. I’m always eager to see how authors tackle the conundrum of finding a happy ending for a human and an otherworldly being. —Isabelle Popp

A witch and a demon are reunited by a Faustian bargain in every lifetime in this queer romantasy. To get out of her wretched, cursed life, Cybil Harding makes a deal with demon Miriam Richter: she can have Cybil’s soul in return for reincarnation. And in every life, Miriam is there to claim her reward, drawing them closer together each time Cybil is reborn. —Liberty Hardy

Owen has a plan for college. He’s not here to have fun. He’s here to secure a good job that will set him up for a prosperous life. Unluckily for him, he’s arrived during the first hell/Earth exchange program, and his roommate is the literal prince of hell, Zar. Zar is just here to have fun, including bringing a rotating cast of guys to their room, throwing parties, and setting furniture on fire. They reach a mutually beneficial agreement, though: they will fake date and Owen will teach Zar how to act human. In exchange, Zar will set Owen up with a life-changing internship. Aiden Thomas calls this a "hilarious and charming descent into love, fake dating, and actual Hell. I couldn’t stop grinning."

This magical queer romantasy debut is about princesses who need true love’s kiss to save them. But it’s not your ordinary fairytale. Amala and Kha’dasia meet when they wake up in the cursed forest. They have both died, but the gods of the forest promise them a second chance, if they can get a kiss from their true love. As the princesses work to meet the challenge, well…you can see where this is going, right? —Liberty Hardy

Yes, that Hayley Kiyoko ! This YA romance is set in an alternate Victorian England. In Kiyoko’s version, people are free to love whomever they wish, but inheritance law is behind the times. Ivy and Freya, our main characters, are burdened with familial expectations. Their budding romance challenges them to take risks, and the result is a sweet sapphic historical romance. —Isabelle Popp

Linda Cheng’s sapphic standalone follow-up to Gorgeous Gruesome Faces is described as "a feral fairytale." Tian, a singer-songwriter with a huge online following, is horrified to discover her fans have died from mysterious injuries while watching her livestream. Now, she’s escaped from the spotlight to hide out on a remote island with her best friend and only confidant, Liya, as well as her musical collaborator, Shenyu. What they think will be a restorative retreat ends up being anything but when horrifying rituals are revealed and terrible creatures await them in the wilds. —Emily Martin

My Gender, My Rules is a great introduction to discussing gender with young children. In this colourful book full of fascinating facts, My Gender, My Rules teaches about the different ways people express their gender; how important it is as a part of someone’s identity; and most crucially, that everyone gets to reach their own conclusions about their gender and deserves to have their feelings respected. —Alice Nuttall