Under the Radar LGBTQ+ Reads from 2026 You Won’t Want to Miss

Sourcebooks Casablanca and Poisoned Pen Press

This Pride Month, fill your shelves with stories that are bold, heartfelt, twisty, swoony, unforgettable—and unapologetically queer. From pulse-pounding psychological thrillers to romances you’ll obsess over and cozy fantasies you’ll want to live inside, this curated collection celebrates LGBTQIA+ voices, iconic characters, and the kinds of books you’ll immediately start recommending to everyone you know.

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto

Makana Yamamoto blew me away with their queer sci-fi heist debut, Hammajang Luck, and they’ve kept the space drama coming with their next novel, The Obake Code. Once the most legendary hacker in the galaxy, Malia has taken a step back from her dangerous schemes and settled for a little (mostly) safe online fight rigging. Then she gets caught by a gang leader who, shockingly, doesn’t want to hurt her, but actually wants to hire Malia to take down a politician who is getting in the way of the gang’s operations. Malia pulls together a heist team and takes on the politician — only to find herself in the middle of a conspiracy she never expected.

Work to Do by Jules Wernersbach

Jules Wernersbach, founder of Hive Mind Books in Brooklyn, intimately understands the difficulties of trying to run an ethical, community-minded small business during late-stage capitalism. Their debut novel, Work to Do, is set around a co-op grocery store in Austin, Texas, rocked by a unionization movement from its employees, queer situationship drama, and an oncoming hurricane. Full of richly textured queer characters, messy love triangles, and reflections on what counts as meaningful work, it’s a spectacular debut.

You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya

For fans of the sapphic cat-and-mouse thriller Killing Eve, Isha Raya’s Hollywood-set debut novel You’ll Never Forget Me is a must-read. Actress Dimple Kapoor can’t get out of the shadow of her rival, Irene Singh, who just landed a role Dimple desperately wanted again. When Dimple accidentally kills Irene during a high-profile party, she’s lucky enough not to get caught and even gets offered the role Irene can no longer perform. But one private investigator has a hunch about Dimple, and she’s not willing to let it go. It’s fast-paced, heated, and full of twists that will keep you guessing.

Spawning Season: An Experiment in Queer Parenthood by Joseph Osmundson

In this intriguing combination of memoir and nature writing, microbiology professor Joseph Osmundson reflects on modern queer parenthood and finds unlikely reflections of his own journey in the animal world. He draws thought-provoking parallels between the lifecycle of salmon and the agreement he made with a lesbian couple he’d known since college to co-parent. With deep considerations of the ethics of having children during a climate crisis, humanity’s role in the natural world, and breaking societal expectations of family structures, it’s an emotional and introspective personal story.

Running Home to You by Samantha Saldivar

I was obsessed with Samantha Saldivar’s debut sapphic romance, Play You For It, and her sophomore novel, Running Home to You, further proves that she’s a rising star in the romance space. Captain Kate Hutchins is the glue that holds Insley University’s women’s softball team together. Then Abby Cruz, daughter of a baseball legend and agent of chaos who happens to play Kate’s same position, transfers to Insley. They’re complete opposites, and Kate wants to hate Abby. But when their coach asks Kate to tutor Abby, they build a connection that surprises them both. It’s a gorgeous, tender romance about embracing your truth on and off the field.

Bad Queer by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

This mesmerizing YA romantic novel-in-verse follows a nonbinary teen in London as they come out to their family, navigate changing friendships, and fall in love for the first time. Poet Gayathiri Kamalakanthan writes with compassion, tenderness, and radiance that makes their debut book unforgettable, and Chi Nwosu’s vivid illustrations add even more texture to this powerful story.

The Body Riddle by Sam K MacKinnon

The Body Riddle is a thoughtful, gloriously messy exploration of trans identity and queer relationships by debut author Sam K MacKinnon. Lex has long thought that top surgery was the key to feeling more at home in their body and fixing their relationship with their cis partner, Ada. But the surgery changes the kinky dynamic between Lex and Ada in ways neither of them expected, and their non-monogamous relationship begins to take on a new shape. It’s an endearingly untidy (and very queer) story of seeking a home in your own body.

There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood by Rasheed Newson

It feels a bit unfair to call this book by an award-winning screenwriter “under the radar,” but it’s a phenomenal book that I really wish more people were talking about, and one that I think has all the components to become a huge success given a little more buzz. Set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, it stars a gay Black studio “fixer” named Aaron who is tasked with keeping rising star Xavier C. Barlow in the closet. But when Xavier is cast as the lead in a biopic of the WWII Navy pilot who changed Aaron’s life, it threatens to rock both of their worlds. It’s a cinematic stunner that pays homage to the queer stars of the silver screen who never got to live their truth.

Appetite by P. Paramita (coming Aug. 4 from Dial Press)

The recent Apple TV adaptation of Margot’s Got Money Troubles has readers clamoring for more chaotic coming-of-age stories involving colorful pro-wrestling characters, and they’ll find it in P. Paramita’s debut, Appetite. Zarina is a twentysomething Bangladeshi prep cook by day and a massive pro-wrestling fan by night. When her online post catches the eye of her idol, Sierra Myst, their unlikely friendship busts Zarina’s world wide open. But what is it they say about never meeting your heroes? With reflections on parasocial relationships and lots of delicious food descriptions, it’s a story you’ll love sinking your teeth into.

Our Arab: On Longing, Belonging, and Hope by Zaina Arafat (coming Sept. 29 from Little, Brown and Company)

In Zaina Arafat’s first book since her 2020 Lambda Literary Award-winning novel You Exist Too Much, she bursts onto the nonfiction scene with brilliant essays exploring the joys and grief of life in the Palestinian diaspora. With luscious prose that at moments took my breath away, she dives into her family’s history and search for home, the horrors of watching the genocide in Gaza from afar, Arab women’s rage, her experiences with queer motherhood, and more. Arafat’s talent is undeniable, and while not many readers are talking about this book yet, they certainly will be soon.