Though 2020 was a somewhat difficult year, we can finally start to place it behind us and look forward to the truly tantalizing LGBTQ+ literature set to be released this year.
Outlawed by Anna North
Out 5 January
Outlawed is a novel that addresses several issues surrounding patriarchy and homophobia, following in the footsteps of The Handmaid's Tale with its discussion of the politics surrounding fertility. Set in an alternative 1894 America where a powerful strain of the flu has wiped out a vast majority of the population and rendered the focus of the remaining population on the devout practice of a conservative strain of Christianity and the glorification of childbirth, barren women like seventeen-year-old Ada are considered to be witches and are treated unfavourably by society as a whole. The story follows Ada as she is eventually welcomed into a circle of non-binary outlaws who slowly change her ideologies of gender and sexuality.
The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.
Out 5 January
The Prophets is another love story that has already been released to a great deal of critical acclaim due to its exceptional writing style, story and premise. Despite this novel marking Robert Jones Jr’s debut as a writer, the stunning prose that can be found within this novel has already won him the title of being one of the “Best Black Male Writers of Our Time'' by T magazine. Jones dares to ask the question of what queerness would have looked like for enslaved African Americans during one of America’s most frightening and unforgiving periods of history.
Kink edited by R. O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell
Out 9 February
Scheduled to be released just in time for Valentine’s Day, we have what is debatably our raunchiest title of this article, the aptly named book, Kink, through which we explore the vast scope of variance in gender identity and sexual orientation without falling too far into their overt sexualisation. The anthology aspect of this title lends itself to providing bite-size insights into the world of the non-normative. An early review on the book by Publishers Weekly, notes that the authors who contributed to the book successfully delivered on their promise to “take kink seriously.” Other reviews also praise the short stories included for their ability to capture the intricate emotionality behind the relationships discussed and the overall artistry of “kink culture.”
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Out 1 June
For our younger readers, we highly suggest the Young Adult novel One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston for its highly intriguing sci-fi-esque premise. We follow the spunky, introverted twenty-three-year-old, August Landry, as she sheds her old, small-town past in favour of the big-city clamour of New York and becomes a self-sufficient young adult. The story follows her as she falls for the alluring butch girl with the 1970’s punk style, Jane, who happens to be on her daily commute. From here, the narrative takes a shocking turn into science fiction when we discover that Jane has time-travelled from the past and is now stuck in the present. We can only imagine what hare-brained antics the two will be getting into.
Honourable Mentions
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Out 19 January
In the midst of the Red Scare, Lily is falling for a girl in her class while her immigrant dad comes under scrutiny by the government over suspected ties to the Communist Party.
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
Out 2 February
Rachel is a twenty-four-year-old lapsed Jew who has always struggled with her weight, but will her ninety-day detox from communicating with her Orthodox Jewish mother (as suggested by Rachel’s therapist) and an introduction to Miriam, help her to break away from religious calorie-counting?
Future Feeling by Joss Lake
Out June
A cynical dog-walker inadvertently places a curse on a young man and is forced to travel to the Shadowlands to try to save him.
Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales
Out 9 March
A bisexual girl, Darcy, who gives anonymous love advice to her classmates is hired to help Brougham, an entitled rich guy, win back his ex.
Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve
Out April
Dean is 100% certain that he is a trans guy but what he’s still unsure of is whether to wait, and come out in college, or fully embrace who he is now. Will playing the role of Romeo in his high school play help him to accept his true self around everyone else?
There are several other phenomenal titles that we unfortunately did not have the space to include this time round but will endeavour to mention closer to their release date. In the meantime, please feel free to engage with us over our many social media pages. We look forward to hearing from you!