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

Set in the Spanish Golden Age, during a time of high‑stakes political intrigue and glittering wealth, The Familiar follows Luzia, a servant in the household of an impoverished Spanish nobleman who reveals a talent for little miracles. Her social‑climbing mistress demands Luzia use her gifts to win over Madrid’s most powerful players but what begins as simple amusement takes a dangerous turn. Luzia will need to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even the help of Guillén Santángel, an immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo ..read more

Set in the Spanish Golden Age, during a time of high‑stakes political intrigue and glittering wealth, The Familiar follows Luzia, a servant in the household of an impoverished Spanish nobleman who reveals a talent for little miracles. Her social‑climbing mistress demands Luzia use her gifts to win over Madrid’s most powerful players but what begins as simple amusement takes a dangerous turn. Luzia will need to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even the help of Guillén Santángel, an immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo ..read more

Spring has sprung, readers, which means it’s time to roll out the amazing science fiction and fantasy books headed our way in April. But I will start by admitting my big disappointment this month: fans of P. Djèlí Clark will have to wait a little longer for The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. Its release has been pushed from April to September. But, it is SO good and totally worth the wait, I promise. And there are so many other amazing SFF books coming out now, you’re sure to find something to keep you entertained until then. To help you make a decision, here are ten new SFF books out in April 2024 ..read more

If Black girl magic was a literary genre, it just might take the form of YA speculative fiction written by Black writers and featuring Black characters. Of course, not all Black speculative YA books feature Black protagonists who identify as women or girls, but my point remains: these books are a celebration of not only Black youth but also the many and various cultural traditions that can be tied to Blackness. Since this list focuses on works of speculative fiction, there is often literal magic happening in the storylines. Some of these authors have built that magic around cultural practices ..read more

In the 1980s, science fiction writing was entering what would be a period of immense growth and popularity. While many popular writers had already emerged in the post-war, and earlier, years, the eighties brought forth a new and memorable crop of novels that exposed the science fiction genre to a wider audience. As the world moved from mainly analog to increasingly digital, both readers and writers turned to science fiction to help them make sense of the new possibilities these technologies offered. Staples of the time, such as William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984), centered around how these dig ..read more

There’s a whole lot to love about science fiction and fantasy (SFF): fabulous world-building, epic adventures, fantastical creatures, awe-inspiring technology. Surely no nonfiction title could live up to the excitement that a good SFF book can deliver? As a devoted nonfiction reader, I can assure you that is not true! Nonfiction can weave a tale just as irresistible as anything that sprang from a fiction writer’s imagination. A skillful nonfiction author uses the same methods that make fiction so entertaining and applies them to events that happen in real life. And, in some cases, nonfiction b ..read more

Embark on a supernatural adventure with Jennifer L. Armentrout's HARBINGER series! With a perilous secret looming over her, Trinity Marrow and her cryptic Warden companion, Zayne, navigate through a world filled with gargoyles, angels and demons. Now available in beautifully enhanced editions, this trilogy is a breathtaking ride! I’ve been a fantasy girlie since forever, but only just got into urban fantasy, and I have to say I’m here for it. I love how it’s modern and oftentimes city-based setting, which is a large part of the defining difference between it and other fantasy sub-genr ..read more

If reading is a way to get whisked away to a whole new world, reading via audiobook allows you to dive even deeper into an author’s imagination. With advances in recording technology, audiobooks can incorporate music, sound effects, and talented voice actors to build an atmosphere of total immersion for the reader. Frequent readers of audiobooks find that in addition to favorite authors, they also develop a love of certain narrators, giving them a whole new way to find new titles they’ll enjoy. With the popularity of romantasy as a subgenre, audiobook listeners who love a good fantasy-romance ..read more

It was a hard-won campaign, but you did it. You nurtured a character from the start — made a backstory, rolled the dice, chose your feats, and equipped your character. You met a ragtag group of explorers that journeyed through the continent of Faerûn to defeat evil. And you did it. Victory feels good, plus the treasure is a nice bonus (or the only bonus, depending on your alignment). There may have been laughs and losses along the way, but the world is safe…for now. Putting away your weapons, whether sword and sphere, or offensive magic spells, seems so anticlimactic. What do you do? You could ..read more