Looking to queer up your TBR? These 10 queer cozy mysteries are a great place to start. Queer cozy mysteries — sometimes called “quozies” — are a subset of a subset of the ever-popular mystery genre. Cozy mysteries have been growing in popularity over the past few years, with authors like Jesse Q. Sutanto and Richard Osmond topping the lists with their multi-award-winning mystery series. But as much as I love Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Dial A for Aunties, and The Thursday Murder Club, they’re not nearly gay enough. That’s where these books come in. Featuring characters acros ..read more

From amanda lovelace, the bestselling author of the princess saves herself in this one, comes an accessible guide to welcoming magic into your life, perfect for beginner witches and the magic-curious alike. This inviting beginner’s guide shows that magic doesn’t have to be fancy, time-consuming, or one-size-fits-all. With simple explanations, twenty all-new inspiring poems, words of encouragement, magical journaling prompts, and more, this book sweeps away the gatekeeping and offers you the tools needed to begin building a strong, long-lasting practice focused on self-love. We’re here ..read more

We’re a quarter of the way through the year, so I thought now was a good time to look back at the biggest and buzziest LGBTQ books of the first three months of 2024. I’ll highlight other genres in future lists, but I’m starting with fantasy. These are the titles I’ve been hearing about the most, but there are so many more queer fantasy books out January through March that are also worth reading. Faebound by Saara El-Arifi (Sapphic Fantasy) Saara El-Arifi was already a well-known name in the queer fantasy genre for her the Ending Fire trilogy, so combining that with the current popularity ..read more

Opal Devlin’s life only got more complicated when she won the lottery. Unable to say no to the flood of people who showed up to ask her for money, she decides to remove herself from the situation. Opal finds her fresh start in the form of a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina, which she buys with the intention of letting nature run its course while she starts a painting business. But there’s a problem: a total knockout named Pepper Boden says she is the farm’s rightful owner, and she doesn’t intend to go anywhere. (Think: there’s only one bed, but make it a cozy cabin on a farm ..read more

The finalists across 26 categories for the 36th annual Lambda Literary Awards are here. The Lambdas–colloquially known as the Lammys–celebrate the best of queer literature. This year, 130 different titles are being named as finalists across the categories, which include everything from LGBTQ+ comic books to gay memoir, lesbian fiction to LGBTQ+ children’s books and more. Winners of the award will be announced at Sony Hall in New York City on June 11, 2024. Check out the finalists in 12 of the 26 categories below. You can access the full lists at the Lambda Literary website. LGBTQ+ Comics A G ..read more

Today’s pick is a translated graphic novel from a Spanish comic artist. Us by Sara Soler, lettering by Joamette Gil, and translated by Silvia Perea Labayen This graphic novel is a memoir about a very specific time in the author’s life. It is the story about when her girlfriend, Diana, came out as trans and how they navigated their relationship and her transition together. They decide to share their story so that folks can have some insight into one version of the reality of transitioning. Every trans person has a different story and so, Sara and Diana are sharing theirs. I am completely b ..read more

One of my favorite things about queer books is the way they’re able to tackle genres in which queerness was once declared unwelcome and carve out a spot for queer narratives that remind readers that we are, and always have been, a part of the story. This is particularly true of the Western genre, which has long been viewed by certain parties as a bastion of “American manhood”, full of rugged, super hetero cis white men who, depending on when the novel was written, either inspired or were inspired by the heroes of classic Western films. No gays allowed. (If you want to see how wrong-headed that ..read more

I love a good mystery as much as the next person, and I especially love mystery novels where we get a sense for the detective or sleuth’s character — they’re more than just a figurehead asking the questions, but a fully formed person whose thoughts, opinions, and experiences have a direct impact on the mystery. LGBTQ+ people almost always go through the world experiencing life through a slightly different lens than those who are cis and straight, so queer characters solving crimes seems like an obviously intriguing setup to me! However, finding those queer characters in the mystery genre hasn ..read more

During Thursday, March 14, 2024’s Autauga-Prattville Public Library board meeting, library director Andrew Foster, alongside other employees, were fired from their jobs. It was yet another move by the board to not only impose power over the institution, but to also ensure that the library will fail to serve its role as an institution of democracy in the community. For months, Autauga-Prattville Public Library (AL) has been under fire. Much of it began with the work of one individual who complained about The Pronoun Book in the children’s area of the public library. This escalated to the develo ..read more

March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility, an observance that celebrates trans and nonbinary joy while raising awareness for the discrimination many face in daily life. Memoirs by transgender authors offer a window for trans readers into experiences that mirror their own. They’re vital for feeling understood and less alone. They also offer cisgender readers a more informed perspective on trans issues and can be a catalyst for greater compassion. Not sure where to start? Here are 11 of the best memoirs written by trans and nonbinary authors. These books explore gender identity and self-actualiz ..read more