Today’s Our Queerest Shelves is brought to you by: Penguin Teen
Best friendship blossoms into something more in this gorgeously written queer literary romance.
Over the past five years, Mitra Esfahani has known two constants: her best friend Bea Ortega and The Book—a dogeared moleskin she and Bea have been filling with the stanzas of an epic, never-ending poem since they were 13.
For introverted Mitra, The Book is one of the few places she can open herself completely and where she gets to see all sides of brilliant and ebullient Bea. There, they can share everything—nothing too messy or complicated for The Book. Nothing except the one thing with the power to change their entire friendship: the fact that Mitra is helplessly in love with Bea. Find out more about Penguin Teen here!
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It’s been almost a year since Our Queerest Shelves moved to Substack, and I’ve been putting out bonus content every week since then. So, I thought it might be nice to open up some of that old bonus content to everyone…but I couldn’t decide which one to do it with. So, I’m leaving that up to you! Please vote on which piece of bonus content you’d like to come out from behind the paywall. I plan to do this again, but probably only once every few months or so.
Also, I’ve included a link with more below, but be sure to check out the 2nd annual Trans Rights Readathon, from March 22-29th!
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Queer Thrillers To Get Your Heart Racing
An Our Queerest Shelves reader requested some queer thriller recs, so here are five to start with!
Bath Haus by P. J. Vernon
Oliver has the perfect life. He’s now sober, and he’s married a wonderful — and wealthy — man. But despite all that, he can’t help sneaking out to Haus, a gay bathhouse. When an encounter goes wrong, though, he only just manages to escape with a hand-shaped bruise on his neck. He lies to his husband about what happened, but that night refuses to stay in the past, escalating in this claustrophobic cat-and-mouse thriller.
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Devon and Chiamaka are two queer Black students at Niveus Private Academy. When they become prefects, it sets them up for a run at valedictorian and all the opportunities that come with it. Soon after, an anonymous texter starts revealing their secrets to the school. When these rumors turn deadly, the two will have to find their anonymous enemy before their futures — and lives — are put at risk.
These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein
This one just came out last week! It’s a noir technothriller with a queer trans woman main character. Dora has returned to her old commune to solve her ex-girlfriend’s murder, but what she finds there is a series of disappearances and “accidents,” as well as a dangerous new drug — all of which seems to be connected to a corporate conspiracy. As she investigates, she also has to deal with people determined to try to drag her back to her pre-transition life.
The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe
Nora is a bisexual teenager at the bank with her two closest friends, Wes and Iris. It’s a little awkward, because Wes is her ex, and he just found out that Iris and Nora are dating. But that’s the least of their problems because the three of them are being held hostage by bank robbers. What they don’t know is that Nora was raised by a con artist, and she is determined to use all her skills to get them out alive. The sequel to this one is out in May!
The Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani, translated by Sam Bett
This is one of my most-anticipated releases of the year! It’s being pitched as “Kill Bill meets The Handmaiden meets Thelma and Louise.” In 1970s Tokyo, Shindo is kidnapped by the yakuza. She fights off a group of gang members, and while she’s unsuccessful in her attempt to escape, they decide to let her live if she’ll be the bodyguard for Shoko, the 18-year-old daughter of the gang’s boss. She immediately feels protective of Shoko, but trying to keep them both alive in this ultra-violent environment will be a challenge. Unfortunately, we’ve still got a bit of a wait for this one, because it isn’t out until July.
For more queer thrillers, check out this Book Riot list of 9 of the Best LGBTQ Thrillers. Plus, I included five more honorable mentions as a bonus for paid subscribers at the end of the newsletter.
LGBTQ Book Riot Post
Join the Trans Rights Readathon March 22-29!
The 2nd annual Trans Rights Readathon is March 22-29th! Here's how to participate, plus some recs that also complete 2024 Read Harder tasks.
All the Links Fit to Click
"You're engaging in Holocaust denial": Critics slam J.K. Rowling's latest anti-trans stance
Yes, J.K. Rowling, the Nazis persecuted trans people, burned books
Alvina Chamberland Takes a Scalpel to Straight Men’s Secret Attraction to Trans Women
DC Is Honoring the Creator of Their First Trans Superhero With a Special Pride Issue
Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.
Queer Bookish Goodies
Look at this adorable bisexual roses bowtie! $30
That's it for me! Until next time, you can find me at my sapphic book blog the Lesbrary. You can hear me on All the Books, and you can also read my Book Riot posts and subscribe to my other Book Riot newsletter, Read Harder.
Happy reading!
Danika
5 More LGBTQ Thrillers
Including a murder at a full-contact horror escape room, a thriller set during the Satanic Panic, a revenge thriller with a female serial killer, and more.
Reprieve by James Han Mattson
Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
No One Dies Yet by Kobby Ben Ben
Providence by Craig Willse (out April 23rd)