Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack.
Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.
During my tenure at Book Riot, I’ve noticed that our readers love a good statistic. If you’re also a stats girlie (inclusive), but want to know specifically about queer books, Libby recently shared with us their top circulating books with LGBTQIA representation from April 2024-May 2025.
This list is perfect for those who want their book clubs filled with more queer reading, people who want to watch adaptations of queer stories after reading the original book versions (a couple books on the list have popular adaptations), and just people who want to be in the know. But let me just say that, as with most of the “most popular” and “most checked out” lists that we compile data on, there isn’t a lot of racial diversity. In fact, many of the books below are the same ones that might be found on a bestseller list at any given moment.
If you are wanting some intersectionality in your queer reading, there are some great recs that come courtesy of our Queer lit newsletter, Our Queerest Shelves: The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes, Necessary Fiction by Eloghosa Osunde, How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica, Mangoes and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera, Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker, Buuza by Shazleen Khan, Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel, Your Final Moments by Jay Coles, and Gaysians by Mike Curato.
Now for the list below—get ready for everything from a romance with modern-day royalty to struggles with alcoholism and even cozy fantasy.
#5 Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Beach reads and contemporary romance are almost synonymous in my mind, and when I think of great contemporary romance, I think Red, White & Royal Blue. The rivalry between a prince and the son of the U.S. president causes an international incident. But when they’re forced to get to know each other, their growing chemistry almost causes an international incident of a very different kind. McQuiston’s writing is fun and witty, full of the kind of quick banter I love in a romance. A good beach read should leave you smiling and recommending the book to everyone you know, and this book will have you doing both before it’s through. —Rachel Brittain
#4 Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Akbar’s protagonist, Cyrus Shams, mirrors himself—for one, both are poets who have struggled with alcoholism. For Cyrus, his obsession with martyrs leads him down a path of familial discovery. He learns of an uncle who dressed as an angel of death on Iranian battlefields, and of his mother, who may not have been who he thought she was.
#3 The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
This cozy fantasy is one that romance fans recommend constantly because it hits all the right emotional buttons, and the magic is lovely. When Linus Baker leaves his little house and cat to take care of a group of wayward magical orphans, he realizes opening up isn’t as scary as he thought. He also connects with the caretaker, Arthur, and they both work to save the magical world and the children they care for. — Julia Rittenberg
#2 Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
For the sake of avoiding spoilers, let’s just say that this is the highly anticipated sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea, and has all the magic and charm of the first book.
#1 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
When renown actress Evelyn Hugo finally decides to tell her story, the world is shocked when she chooses a relatively unknown magazine reporter as her writer. As Monique listens to Hugo’s story, she begins to feel a connection to the superstar and it becomes glaringly clear that they are even more connected than she realized. —Kate Krug
The Rest of the List
#6 Heartstopper, Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
#7 The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
#8 Less Andrew by Sean Greer
#9 Heartstopper, Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
#10 The Guncle by Steven Rowley
#11 The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
#12 In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
#13 The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
#14 The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
#15 Heartstopper, Volume 2 by Alice Oseman
#16 The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
#17 Heartstopper, Volume 3 by Alice Oseman
#18 Heartstopper, Volume 4 by Alice Oseman
#19 Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
#20 Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
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Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack.
Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.
Fog and Fury by Rachel Howzell Hall
Mystery/thriller powerhouse Hall introduces us to a private investigator who is new to a picturesque seaside town. But the town is dirtier, and more dangerous, than she first thought.
Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden
Speaking of mystery/thriller powerhouses, Freida is that girl! In her latest, Quinn Alexander is on the run after committing a terrible crime. Then, she gets caught in a snowstorm and has to stay in a rundown motel. A motel that has its own dark secrets.
Hot Girls with Balls by Benedict Nguyễn
Yes, friend, you can go ahead and take that title literally, since this satire is about two tall Asian American trans women who decide to play professional volleyball on the men’s team to…avoid controversy. LOL
The Original by Nell Stevens
There is something about a story with an art forger, let me tell you. This story in particular—set in 1899 in the English countryside—gets extra points because our said art scammer may be getting scammed herself by a man claiming to be her long-lost cousin.
The mess of it all.
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