Highly-Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books That Are Set To Be Released In The Latter Half Of 2022

The first half of 2022 has given us some incredible LGBTQ+ reads, but fear not, there's even more coming your way in the second half of the year!

1. Youngblood by Sasha Laurens

Penguin Random House / Via penguinrandomhouse.com

Releases: July 19

What It's About: Sasha Laurens's sophomore YA novel follows Kat Finn, a teenage vampire living in poverty with her mother. Like all vampires, Kat and her mother drink a synthetic blood substitute called Hema to survive, and it's expensive, causing the two to struggle to make ends meet living among humans. Human blood is not an option for vampires anymore, as most of humanity has been infected with a virus that kills vampires. All of this has Kat feeling pretty down, imagining an eternal life of just scraping by. But Kat's luck seems to change when she learns that she's been accepted to the Harcote School — a secret, prestigious, vampires-only prep school.

What Kat doesn't expect is to run into Taylor Sanger, her former best friend and out-and-proud lesbian who longs to be free of the vampire world she grew up in, and the conservative and homophobic values it brings along with it. Taylor is looking forward to being done with Harcote, but her plans to keep her head down and get through her last two years are thrown when Kat is assigned to be her new roommate. When Kat is thrown into a completely different world and makes a shocking discovery at the archives and Taylor finds the body of a dead vampire, a mystery unfolds involving all of Vampiredom, and they may be the only ones who can solve it. 

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

2. Briefly, a Delicious Life by Nell Stevens

simon & schuster / Via simonandschuster.com

Releases: July 19

What It's About: Briefly, a Delicious Life is a debut adult fantasy about Blanca, the ghost of a 14-year-old girl who died in a hilltop monastery in 1473. Nearly 400 hundred years later, when George Sand, her lover Frederic Chopin, and her two children move to the village, Blanca is still there, a spirited and righteous ghost, spying on the townspeople and keeping track of her family line. Blanca falls in love with George at first sight, and the novel unravels around the story of the teen ghost's deep and unrequited love for a woman who can't see her or ever even know she exists. 

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

3. Husband Material by Alexis Hall

Sourcebooks Casablanca / Via quicunquevult.com

Releases: August 2

What It's About: The sequel to Hall's 2020 adult romcom Boyfriend Material, Luc and Oliver have gone from fake dating to real dating, and are still managing to make it work. When it starts to seem like everyone around them is getting married, Luc starts feeling pressured to propose to Oliver, despite already knowing that Oliver isn't all that interested in marriage. Their relationship may be stronger than ever, but it'll take more than four weddings and a funeral for these two to figure out what their future has in store. 

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

4. Blood Like Fate by Liselle Sambury

Margaret K. McElderry Books / Via lisellesambury.ca

Releases: August 9

What It's About: The sequel to Liselle Sambury's 2021 debut young adult fantasy follows Voya Thomas, who has passed her calling and become a full-fledged witch, but at what cost? Her cousin (and best friend) hates her, and her family doesn't believe she has what it takes to lead them now that her grandmother is dead. No one in her family seems to want much to do with her, even her ancestors, whose calls for guidance go unanswered. And to top it all off, Voya can't get her feelings for Luc off her mind, and Luc still believes that she killed Justin Tremblay, a tech genius billionaire and Luc's sponsor father, leaving him to want nothing to do with her. As she struggles to convince herself and everyone around her that she will be a good Matriarch, Voya has a vision that puts all Toronto witches in danger. With a newfound sense of purpose, Voya must gather her community to face this newfound threat together, even if it means taking down the boy she loves who may be the mastermind behind it all.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

5. This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves

Simon & Schuster / Via simonandschuster.com

Releases: August 23

What It's About: Enrique “Quique” Luna's goal for the summer is to finally get over his crush on one of his best friends, Saleem Kanazi. Quique is bisexual, and he isn't out to anyone aside from his best friend, Fabiola, but when he finds out that Saleem is leaving for the summer to meet a girl that his parents are trying to set him up with, Quique's lack of game or experience won't stop him from trying to move on with someone new. With some interesting romantic prospects, Quique is sure he can forget about his feelings for Saleem, but it doesn't take long before he realizes the flaws in his plan, and just how high the cost of living your own truth can be.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

6. Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore

macmillan publishers / Via us.macmillan.com

Releases: September 6

What It's About: It's 1922 in New York City, and Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Minnesota, has come to live in his cousin Daisy Fabrega's guest house in West Egg to establish himself as a young professional in the big city. Not at all interested in the city's glamor, Nick is determined to spend his time in New York setting up his life as a man, benefitting himself and his family. When Nick gets to New York, he is surprised to find out that his cousin, who lives near her wealthy fiancé, Tom, in the sought-after neighborhood East Egg, now goes by Daisy Fay, having seemingly erased all signs of her Latina heritage and successfully passing as white. 

Nick's new neighbor, the mysterious Jay Gatsby, lives in a large mansion and throws parties so extravagant that Nick is as intimidated as he is dazzled by the parties, and Jay himself. When Nick attends one of the parties, he learns that the parties and the spectacle they cause are all in hopes of impressing Daisy, for whom Jay harbors a past love. He also learns something else about Jay: He, too, is transgender. With the intention of helping Jay connect with his lost love, Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery and impressive world of Jay Gatsby, and his feelings quickly grow complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Gatsby, his idealism, and his mysterious and unfounded faith in the American Dream.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

7. Destination Unknown by Bill Konigsberg

Scholastic / Via shop.scholastic.com

Releases: September 6

What It's About: It's 1987 in New York City when a closeted Micah meets an out-and-proud C.J. in a dance club. The two have an instant connection, but it's not apparent right away what kind of relationship the two will have. Will it be an important friendship or their first real romance? Their connection will be tested as their lives become more and more entangled in the AIDS epidemic that is laying waste to their community. Their relationship will be pushed to its limits, but the two will be a lifeline for one another in a time of death, and their love for one another will determine their futures.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

8. I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers

macmillan publishers / Via us.macmillan.com

Releases: September 13

What It's About: Sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis's life is changed forever when she discovers the dead body of 13-year-old Ashley James on the side of the road. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Georgia teams up with Ashley's older sister, Nora, to unravel the mystery of who killed Ashley and to bring her killer to justice, and catch him before he strikes again. This YA horror takes place in the same world as Summers's 2018 debut Sadie, so prepare for a fast-paced thriller with biting social commentary that is simultaneously tough to get through, but impossible to put down. 

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

9. The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass

Penguin Random House / Via penguinrandomhouse.com

Releases: September 20

What It's About: Micah Summers has everything going for him — he's rich and charming, and the son of a popular local celebrity sports radio host known as The King of Chicago. Unfortunately, the one thing Micah doesn't have is the courage to actually ask boys out. Instead, Micah draws each of his crushes and posts them on Instagram along with a fake first date story. After posting 99 fake boyfriends, Micah's stories and drawings have a substantial and enthusiastic following, all eager to meet Boy 100. Micah himself is determined for the 100th boy to be different; this time, he's going to get the guy for real! After flirting with a cute guy on the train who Micah is convinced is Boy 100, Micah just misses him as he rushes off the train before he gets a chance to ask for the boy's number. But he doesn't leave without leaving Micah a clue: his vegan leather pumpkin-embroidered jacket. When Micah and his friends set off on a quest to return the jacket and get the guy, Micah may realize that true love may be a lot different (and a lot closer) than he thought.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

10. Lark & ​​Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender

Abrams Books / Via abramsbooks.com

Releases: September 27

What It's About: Lark Winters has spent a lot of time building their social media platform on Twitter in service of their future career as a writer. So when Lark's former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a thread to Lark's Twitter account declaring his love for his secret, unrequited crush, it's inevitable that Lark's tweets become the talk of the school. Lark decides to take the fall for Kasim and pretend that they wrote the thread in reference to their crush on another classmate., thinking that this lie will benefit them both, allowing Kasim to keep his secret and Lark's social media stats to explode. But living a lie starts to take a toll when they're subjected to the judgement of tens of thousands of online strangers, and nothing Lark does ever seems to be enough for them, or for Kasim, who they've been growing close to again. In order to be happy, Lark must embrace their imperfections and discover the revolution that is self-love.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

11. The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

HarperCollins Publishers / Via harpercollins.com

Releases: October 4

What It's About: A prequel to the No.1 New York Times best-selling young adult novel They Both Die at the End, this book begins the night before Death Cast goes live, and the whole world is wondering at its legitimacy — could a company truly predict people's death date with perfect accuracy? Or was it all an elaborate hoax? 

Orion Pagan has a serious heart condition and has spent years knowing he was going to die; he signed up for Death Cast so he could prepare for what's coming. Valentino Prince has a long and promising future ahead of him and has just restarted his life in New York; he only signed up for Death Cast after his twin sister almost died in a car accident. When Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square, they immediately feel a deep connection, but their plans are thrown off course when the first round of End Day calls goes out, and one of them receives a call. Though neither of them is certain how the day will end, or if Death Cast is even real, they decide that spending the day together is worth the risk, even if things end in heartbreak. 

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

12. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen

macmillan publishers / Via us.macmillan.com

Releases: October 18

What It's About: Pitched as Knives Out meets Carol, Lavender House is a historical queer whodunit. Taking place in Lavender House in 1952, the novel follows the death of family matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire whose scents are a well-guarded secret. The soaps aren't the only secret of Lavender House, however, with Lavender House itself being a type of queer safe haven, where no residents or staff have to hide who they are. However, after the mysterious death of their matriarch, they become worried that they're harboring a murderer in their safe haven. Irene's widow hires Evander "Andy" Mills, a detective recently fired from the San Francisco Police Department after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, to look into his wife's death and find her killer. Andy is drawn to the world of Lavender House, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But he quickly learns that their honesty doesn't extend to everything when he is made a pawn in their family games and deceit, of which Irene's death was only the beginning. 

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

13. Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

Simon & Schuster / Via simonandschuster.com

Releases: November 1

What It's About: Alison Cochrun's sophomore novel is a festive and queer adult rom-com that follows Ellie Oliver, a recent Portland transplant who, before the loss of her dream job in animation a year ago, had experienced a Christmas meet cute that caused her to fall head-over-heels in the course of one night. But ever since that didn't work out and she lost her job soon after, she's been adrift, feeling lonely and strapped for cash. After finding work at a local coffee shop, she's paying the bills but just getting by, until Andrew, the shop's landlord, proposes a drunken plan that the two enter into a marriage of convenience, giving him access to his inheritance and alleviating her financial problems and loneliness. Ellie and Andrew make a plan to spend the holidays with his family to keep up the ruse of their arrangement. But a wrench is thrown in their plan when Ellie is introduced to Andrew's sister, who she is shocked to discover is Jack, the mysterious woman who she fell for on Christmas Eve of last year. Ellie must decide if it's worth it to give up the ruse and safety of her fake relationship in pursuit of something much more real.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

14. Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk

macmillan publishers / Via us.macmillan.com

Releases: November 8

What It's About: This sapphic period piece follows a magical detective who sold her soul to save her brother's life and is offered one last job before her life ends and she is set to serve an eternity in hell. When she turns down the job offer, her client sweetens the deal with the one offer she can't resist: the chance to grow old with the woman she loves. Now all she has to do is track down Chicago's most notorious serial killer in three days, knowing that if she fails, only hell and heartbreak await.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

15. The Two Doctors Górski by Isaac Fellman

macmillan publishers / Via us.macmillan.com

Releases: November 29

What It's About: Annae can't stop reading people's minds. A brilliant graduate student studying Academic Magic as well as a survivor of academic abuse, she protects herself by using her abilities to view exactly how everyone around her sees her. When she moves to England to rebuild her life, Annae begins studying under the seminal magician Marec Górski — a man widely known for bringing to life a homunculus made from an unwanted, better version of himself. When Annae sees inside his head, she sees a man who is a destructive force to everyone around him, while simultaneously being the mirror image of herself. To survive, Annae will have to work through a lifetime of conditioning in order to take control of her life and forge her own path forward.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

16. We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

macmillan publishers / Via us.macmillan.com

Releases: November 29

What Its About: Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson doesn't have high hopes for her senior year after being uprooted from her life in DC and relocated to the hostile home of her terminally-ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery's mom and her grandmother makes for a difficult arrival, unearthing drama that the two refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she's pushed away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that tore her family apart. The more friends Avery makes in her town, the more the town of Bardell, Georgia's racism is revealed, and the racism is rooted in her family in ways she can't even imagine. The further she digs, the worse things seem to be, and with her grandmother's health declining, she must decide if finding the truth is worth upsetting the delicate balance of the new relationships she's cultivated. 

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

17. Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

macmillan publishers / Via us.macmillan.com

Releases: November 29

What It's About: In the two years since Maya dumped her cheating ex-boyfriend Jordy, it's gotten increasingly harder to escape him. Ever since Jordy's sister married the crown prince of a minor European country and Jordy managed to capture the public's hearts as the eligible younger brother, she hasn't stopped hearing about him. So when she's asked to be a contestant on Second Chance Romance, a brand-new reality show in which an assortment of Jordy's ex-girlfriends are brought in to date him on-screen in an effort to find his "one that got away," Maya can't say no fast enough. That is, until she realizes the potential for revenge: She could compete to make it to the finale and reject Jordy publicly and break his heart just like he did to her two years ago. 

What Maya doesn't account for when arriving at the set of the show is the presence of Skye, the beautiful and charming girl that Jordy cheated on her with. How is she supposed to be around this girl for six weeks, let alone share a room with her? But she quickly learns that there's more to Skye than it seems, and she may be more willing to take Maya's side than either of them had thought. If the two can manage to get along long enough to enter into a reluctant alliance, while also somehow managing to keep their newfound feelings for each other from getting in the way, they may have a decent chance at taking Jordy down as a team.

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.

18. A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson

Penguin Random House / Via penguinrandomhouse.com

Releases: December 6

What It's About: In Kosoko Jackson's second adult queer rom-com of the year, protagonist Xavier Reynolds has hit a rough patch. After getting dumped and passed over for a prestigious fellowship, he's right back home in Harper's Cove, Maine, a town with a population of only 9,000 people, and the last place he wants to be. Needing a job, he's forced to work as a prep chef at an up-and-coming restaurant in town called The Wharf, and Xavier is less than excited about it, especially since the hot chef and single dad, Logan O'Hare, can't delegate to save his life. The situation is no better on Logan's side of things; he doesn't understand Xavier or his dry humor and less-than-stellar attitude, but Logan is desperate for help in the kitchen. After all, his tween daughter won't cut it as his prep cook forever. Without much of a choice, Logan decides to take a chance on Xavier. After working together for a short while, the two realize they have a strong and unexpected connection, but when the heat between them gets to be too much, they'll have to decide if they can handle that heat, or if one of them will have to get out of the kitchen. 

Pre-order it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound here.