NEW 2024 LGBTQ+ READS

NEW LGBTQ+ READING FOR 2024

Whether you’re a fan of New Year’s resolutions or not, picking up a good new book or two is always a good idea. And in 2024, we’re lucky to have a great selection of new titles from LGBTQ+ writers to choose from! Ilana Masad, a writer for them.us, has curated a list of 11 new books to consider in her article, “11 Queer Books We’re Itching to Read in 2024.” Full transparency, I have not personally read any of the books listed in Ilana’s article… YET. But I am excited to have come across this article to sample new literature for this year.

As Ilana states in her article, “Amid the right wing’s push for book bans, there are more LGBTQ+ titles to read than ever. Here’s some info about a few of her selections:

HOUSE MATES, Emma Copley Eisenberg – This is the debut novel for Emma Copley Eisenberg. In it, her protagonists, Leah and Bernie, become new housemates in Philadelphia. Soon they develop a much deeper relationship than either of them expected. Leah is a writer, Bernie a photographer, and they share a desire to document the world around them, with all its complex brokenness, with empathy and love. When they set off on a road trip to claim an shaky inheritance left for Bernie, the pair learn about the kind of humans, artists, and lovers they might become.

HOW TO LIVE IN A DANGEROUS WORLD, Shayla Lawson – 

This memoir told from the point of view of a queer Black disabled person who is also an incredible poet and wordsmith. Shayla Lawson’s new essay collection follows the author encountering lost loves and new friends in Egypt, Bermuda, Mexico City, Zimbabwe, and more. Travel along with Shayla around the world and learn about their focus on healing individually and communally. In each place they visit, they learn to let go of something that’s been holding them back, while also developing philosophies of freedom and healing. An inspirational read.

WAYS AND MEANS, Daniel Lefferts – 

Alistair McCabe, a gay Rust Belt now living in New York, works for someone shady to get out of his student debt. But the secrets his billionaire employer is hiding turn out to be dangerous enough that Alistair himself must go on the run. His lovers, Mark and Elijah, struggle with their own jobs with their attendant moral compromises. As Ilana Masad describes, “Daniel Lefferts’ debut novel puts quintessential millennial striving under the microscope to glorious effect,” If you are a millennial transplant, this may be a relevant and interesting read.

ICARUS, K. Ankrum – 

If you or someone you know is into YA romance, this romantic and mystery-filled new take on the Icarus myth from K. Ancrum may fit your bill. This book takes classic Greek lore and gives it a queer twist. Icarus’s father is an art restorer and forger. As his assistant, Icarus is tasked with stealing expensive works of art and replacing them with his dad’s forgeries. This takes him away from normal high school activities and socializing. Moreover, he of course can’t get close to anyone in order to protect his family’s secrets. During a heist targeting his dad’s greatest enemy, Icarus runs into Helios, the enemy’s son. The two teenage boys form a forbidden friendship, and begin to plot their escapes from their overbearing dads. 

LIKE HAPPINESS, Ursula Villarreal-Moura –

In this new novel, Ursula Villareal-Moura’s protagonist must deal with her past, trying to understand it from an older, healthier perspective. In 2015, Tatum Vega's life is finally on track. She works at an art museum in Chile and has a stable partner.  Unfortunately, Tatum’s past issues come rushing back when a reporter calls. An author Tatum assisted for years, M. Domínguez, has been accused of assault and the reporter wants Tatum's perspective on the situation. This forces her to reevaluate and confront the years that she had an odd, undefinable, but obsessive relationship. 

CITY OF LAUGHTER, Temin Fruchter – 

This multigenerational novels that chronicles how a family’s secrets, joys, and traumas persist and evolve over time is set in the city of Ropshitz, Poland during the 18th century.  A wedding jester (badchan) is visited by an ageless being. This same ageless being starts showing up in the lives of present-day Shiva and her mother Hannah, who can trace their ancestry to Ropshitz. The story follows Shiva's journey to Poland due to her interest in Jewish folklore, where she hopes to learn more about her family’s mysterious past.

For the complete article and related content, check out Masad's complete article HERE. Happy 2024 everyone! And happy reading!