Stop Me If You've Heard This One
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2025 BY PEOPLE, VOGUE, AND NBC TODAY From the New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things, a sparkling and funny new novel of entertainment, ambition, art, and love."Sweet, sexy, sad, articulate, and funny." - Vogue"As much heart, humor, and gritty realness as can fit between two covers." - People Cherry Hendricks might be down on her luck, but she can write the book on what makes something funny: she's a professional clown who creates raucous, zany fun at gigs all over Orlando. Between her clowning and her shifts at an aquarium store for extra cash, she's always hustling. Not to mention balancing her judgmental mother, her messy love life, and her equally messy community of fellow performers. Things start looking up when Cherry meets Margot the Magnificent--a much older lesbian magician--who seems to have worked out the lines between art, business, and life, and has a slick, successful career to prove it. With Margot's mentorship and industry connections, Cherry is sure to take her art to the next level. Plus, Margot is sexy as hell. It's not long before Cherry must decide how much she's willing to risk for Margot and for her own explosive new act--and what kind of clown she wants to be under her suit. Equal parts bravado, tenderness, and humor, and bursting with misfits, magicians, musicians, and mimes, Stop Me If You've Heard This One is a masterpiece of comedic fiction that asks big questions about art and performance, friendship and community, and the importance of timing in jokes and in life.
The English Tutor
A broken promise. A forbidden love. An act of redemption beyond imagining.In a poignant tale of love and conflict, Geoff Manderson-a weary English tutor from a privileged background-finds his life forever changed when he takes on Yusuf, a Libyan war refugee, as a student. Unaware of the challenges that await, Geoff soon discovers that their clashing cultural values will spark a crisis that tests the very foundations of their lives.What begins as a fleeting connection evolves into a passionate love affair as Geoff urges Yusuf to choose a future in Canada rather than risk returning home to a war-torn country where he faces persecution for being gay. While their beliefs may divide them, their love for one another becomes an unbreakable bond.Amidst the struggles against religious discrimination and societal pressure, Geoff embarks on a journey to free Yusuf's mind and spirit. But as tensions rise and choices become perilous, Geoff must confront the ultimate betrayal that could shatter everything they hold dear. Will love be enough to conquer the forces threatening to tear them apart? Dive into a story of resilience, passion, and the courage to be true to oneself."The English Tutor is a book yu will want 2 embrace n love as i dew a narrativ uv great subtletee n access looking at evreethiing hed on n thats alwayze changing n finding th way n wayze thru evreething working around th obstakuls n 2 th pleysyur n sorrow n joy all th serching n finding ths book is 2 embrace n 2 love" -bill bissett CM (Order of Canada), poet, artist, writer, musician"As you read The English Tutor, you realize it's a tale of fractures-those agonizing, irreconcilable rifts between people and cultures, East and West, heart and mind, and hope and horrors. It's a love story that is both timeless and timely in our divided world." -Saad T. Farooqi, author of White World
We Could Be Rats
A moving story about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination--from the bestselling author of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space. Sigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal but having always resisted the idea of growing up into the trappings of adulthood, she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend Greta, the only person in the world who ever understood her. Her older sister Margit is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid's inability to conform to the expectations of polite society. But Sigrid's detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She's haunted by the pains of her past--from pretending her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments to grappling with losing Greta's friendship to the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters, in their own time and way, discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward. What unfolds is an unforgettable story of two sisters finding their way back to each other, and a celebration of that transcendent, unshakable bond.
Hungerstone
A Town & Country Must Read Book of the WinterA compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula. "A dark, sensuous, gothic story of female appetite, ravenous desire and insatiable rage. A blood-drenched, glittering jewel of a novel that I absolutely devoured." --Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne and Atalanta It's the height of the industrial revolution and ten years into Lenore's marriage to steel magnate Henry, their relationship has soured. When Henry's ambitions take them from London to the remote British moorlands to host a hunting party, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into their lives. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night. Carmilla, who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger . . . As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband's affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk.
A Conundrum of Wizards
To most witches, Magic was an inspiring mystical power, but Ari Jamison was not like most witches.Life was messy enough without Magic's interference, and most days he interacted with the supernatural community only because they represented a goldmine of business opportunities.Unfortunately for Ari, Magic had other ideas in store for him.When Magic unceremoniously dumps a rogue wizard in his path, Ari must make a choice. He could send the wizard on his way and carry on running his shop as usual, or he could stand between the rogue and the angry mob of magic users out for his blood. The former would mean abandoning his morals, but the latter could be an end to his carefully cultivated lifestyle.
Once Upon a Lullaby Lane
Growing up, Colt Grieves would've sooner died than let his friends step foot into his family's home on Lullaby Lane. Everyone knew that his dad was a hoarder, but knowing it and seeing it are very different things. When he moves out on his own, Colt's content to wedge distance between himself and the house-and his father. When he gets the call that his dad's passed away, he feels like he shouldn't be surprised, and yet the news hits him like a bag of bricks.Colt arrives back home with a knot in his stomach and a sense of choking dread. He's stunned to find another man living in a trailer on the property-someone who's been helping Mr. Grieves out these last seven years. Sera Howell is tall and gorgeous and could charm a rabid badger, but Colt can't help the gnawing insecurity and guilt that some stranger had more of a relationship with his old man than Colt ever did.The house looks worse than ever, and Colt's nerves are frayed from the moment he steps inside. There is no running anymore, though. Sera will be at his side whether he likes it or not-and he does start to like it-but Colt must dig up the ghosts of his family's past to come to terms with it. Secrets won't stay buried, not even under the weight of the house on Lullaby Lane.Once Upon a Lullaby Lane is a part of the multi-author series Once Upon A Holiday Story. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Hook's Book Nook Traveling Library, a library on wheels owned by two old ladies in love.
The Ondines of French Camp
French Camp, Mississippi ... fourteen funerals, five generations of a family, and one single gay man coming to terms with what this place and these people mean to him. Randolph "Randy" Scott Fennig finds himself in a flood of memories and shifting perspectives as he reflects upon his colorful family's funerals. These moments reveal the heartbreaking and hilarious sides of life, especially for those in the Deep South, and for Randy, they pose a particular challenge. The Ondines of French Camp is named for the French play by Giradoux and the water nymphs that call Ondine home. Can Randy heed their calls and learn from the lessons of the past?Andrew Heller received his MFA in Directing from the University of Mississippi and his BA in Theatre from the University of Central Florida. A Florida native, he now resides on Maryland's Eastern Shore where he is the Senior Publishing Consultant for Salt Water Media in Berlin, Maryland. This is his sixth book.
Birk
Nymphs are female-or so Birk's mother has always insisted. But after a conversation with Lucas, Birk finally found the language to express their true identity: they are non-binary, and at least one nymph isn't female.When Birk is unexpectedly outed, they're cast out of the only family they've ever known. Alone in Ember, a town they've lived in but barely interacted with, Birk faces a world that suddenly feels much larger and far more intimidating.Separated from their tree, which holds their soul, and with almost nothing to their name, Birk must learn how to survive. But in Ember, there might just be a new family waiting for them-one that accepts them for exactly who they are.
Shifting Gears
A spicy, small-town, opposites attract lesbian romance about learning to let go, no matter the cost.Workaholic Eleanor Cromwell blows into rural Canada, laser focused on her real estate development project. Given the locals already hate her father's company, she plans to hide away in a cabin and conceal her identity to get the job done. And then her car breaks down...Sweet, smart, goofy mechanic Dani Cooper is about as laid-back as they come, all rumpled flannels and cheeky grins. Meeting an uptight, out-of-town stranger sparks more than just a tire change.What starts as a whirlwind summer fling might turn into something more...except Eleanor's secret threatens to tear everything apart.
Thunder Road
Simon and Vic are home from their honeymoon, just in time for a brand new case! Mysterious missing person reports, a cursed motorcycle club, and an ancient entity add up to trouble. A bad bargain to stop a long-ago gang war requires a yearly sacrifice from a tightly-knit group of riders, and even their coven of witches hasn't been able to stop the deaths.Then the granddaughter of a former lighthouse keeper comes to Simon for help. When the lighthouses were automated, they lost their live-in guardians, who worked protective spells to shield the coast from killer storms and a murderous creature. Those protections are fading, and an old evil has gained power, growing stronger with every life it claims.Can Simon and Vic end the deaths and disappearances, or have they finally found a foe too powerful to stop?Thunder Road is an action-packed MM paranormal romance chock full of old magic, protective guardians, found family, an ancient monster, brave motorcyclists, helpful ghosts, loyal friends, psychic visions, hurt/comfort, supernatural suspense, and an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels.
Battle Fluke
A general. An outcast. A usurper. In a battle against humans, will three mermaids turn the tide of the war?Hurt from failing to rescue Princess Soulara, Honour is taken in by Kyree, a deep sounding mer she's been working with. Honour and Kyree find themselves captive to usurper, Hudson, and with no hopes of warning their people about Soulara's doom. With the battle falling apart right before her eyes, Honour sees no escape from total annihilation.Hudson craves power and control, something her mermaid tribe will never give her in their patriarchal beliefs. With a cohort of followers, Hudson fights her own people in a battle for power. Unexpectedly, her crew finds two washed up mers who claim their underwater haven is under attack. But will Hudson believe them? Can she risk failing her people if she doesn't?As a pacifist, Kyree is thrown into the chaos of a battle. With a mer bent on violence and one bent on rules, she's caught between a rock and a hard place. Feeling attraction to both is the last thing she planned. And yet, working together might be the only solution when it comes to ending the war against humans.Will they discover love during the darkest time the ocean has seen? And will Kyree finally admit her secret...that she has the missing hope they're searching for?Read the conclusion to the romantasy trilogy to find out how three rogue sapphic mermaids fight to save their world.
Traces Of Me
Her mind is fractured. Her heart is torn. And her life is slipping away.Two years after the Watch Over Me biotechnology trial, Yara's fragile peace shatters when the implant left in her brain - once hailed as a miracle of technology - becomes a death sentence. With time running out, she embarks on a desperate search for Ada Wilding, the enigmatic inventor of the BioTag, and the woman who once held her heart.Then, when a mugging ties Yara to a shocking murder and she finds herself subject to blackmail, she's forced to take refuge underground with a hostile ally and an omnipresent AI who isn't what she seems.Trapped in this disorientating underworld, Yara must confront the forces that seek to destroy her as she unravels a curious mystery to determine the difference between illusion and truth before it's too late.But as the promise of a second chance at love with Wilding starts to bloom, Yara must decide who she can trust, because her freedom, her future, and the woman she loves are all on the line.Claustrophobic and relentlessly twisting, Traces of Me is a gripping exploration of identity and love in a society where the line between humanity and technology grows ever thinner.This dark, dystopian, sapphic romance is the sequel to Watch Over Me.
Whole of the Moon
London, 1990s. In pulsing warehouses and neon nights, twenty-two-year-old Steven chases euphoria through pills and possibilities. When an HIV diagnosis shatters his world, he discovers the real high isn't in chemicals-it's in the fierce love of chosen family and the courage to dance even when the world expects you to fade.Set against the frenetic backdrop of London's underground rave scene, "Whole of the Moon" pulses with raw authenticity and heart-stopping urgency. This electrifying debut captures a pivotal moment in queer history where ecstasy and agony shared the same dance floor. A visceral, unflinching story about chosen family, chemical romance, and finding your rhythm in a world that wants to silence your song.Perfect for readers interested in authentic portrayals of 1990s London, queer history, and the British club scene. This literary debut will resonate with audiences who appreciate raw, unflinching stories about chosen family, resilience, and finding joy in the darkest times.
Pucked Until the End
Pierre gave up on love a long time ago. He's fine to have all that drama behind him. Lennox loves a good daddy... and a challenge. Before meeting Lennox, Pierre had never seen a hockey match. Now he can't stop watching. He follows exactly one team. Well, one player: Lennox. Lennox is huge and an obvious philanderer. Pierre's days of dealing with that mess are behind him. That doesn't mean he can't fantasize. Sometimes, he misses being young. He misses the chances he would have taken. But all that is behind him now. The first time Lennox literally ran into Pierre, he did what he always does: flirt. He never thought of Pierre again. Until he nearly plows the man down twice. A chance meeting at a New Year's Eve party leads Lennox down a path he never expects to take. For once, he's the one doing the chasing. Pierre is a little older and a lot more resistant to Lennox's game. Lennox isn't worried. He always gets his man. Hopefully, he doesn't get trapped in his own net this time, and wind up pucked until the end. Pucked Until the End is the twelfth book in Charity Parkerson's Thin Ice series. These books are steamy sports romances meant to heat up your day. This series is best enjoyed when read in order.
This Love
An Autostraddle and Electric Literature Most Anticipated Queer Book"We're calling it... Lotte Jeffs' novel is the new One Day." --Sunday Times Style MagazineAn utterly charming and modern debut novel spanning ten years of extraordinary friendship, about soulmates, unconventional families, and the limitless, ever-changing forms love can take.When Mae and Ari meet outside a crowded gay bar during their final year of university, their connection is instant, sparking a lifetime friendship. Stubborn and no stranger to breaking hearts, Mae needs Ari's bright light to guide her out of her self-centered ways. Reeling from a scandal in New York, vibrant, charming Ari sees Mae as an anchor keeping him grounded.Though they are young, ambitious, and queer, both Mae and Ari secretly daydream about settling down somewhere with a garden, children, and dogs, building a life that feels like home. They make a pact: somehow, some day, they will have a child together.In the decades that follow, Ari and Mae realize that fulfilling their promise will not be as simple as they once hoped. Navigating toxic partners and hidden secrets, combatting the heavy weight of grief, and relishing the spoils of flashy media careers, the two struggle to reconcile their ever-diverging paths. Although nothing goes quite to plan, Ari and Mae--alongside their dearest friends and lovers--come to realize that the messy, devoted, tight-knit family they could build together might be better than anything they could have ever imagined.Page-turning, emotionally evocative, and bursting with wit and charm, This Love is a testament to the power of friendship and a love letter to family--however it's formed.
Smokejumpers Series Omnibus Volume Two
Smokejumpers Series Omnibus Volume 2 GageFirefighter Gage Torres is chosen for the coveted opportunity to become trained to work forest fires. Things heat up when he is stranded with his instructor, Xavier Cruz, after a routine practice flight and the two must fight for their lives.Will Gabe and Xavier make the connection between them work, or are they doomed from the start? JacksonFirefighter Jackson Hall heads up the Cal Fire Inmate Program in addition to his job in search and rescue with the aerial division in California. When things heat up with a timid inmate, Ayen Gonzalez, can Jackson remain professional, or will his newfound love set fire to his soul? Xavier*Continuation from Gage*Living with the love of your life hundreds of miles away is a lonely way to be. Despite all the jet-setting and red-eye flights, it's no longer enough for Gage Torres and Xavier Cruz. Will the New Year bring about changes they never could have imagined?
Why is That Goddamned Radio On?
Integrating memoir and fiction, Why is that Goddamned Radio On? is Jim Cory's answer to what has been asked of him. Cory offers deeply personal histories of music, art, and queer life that contemplate the roots of the poetic, pulling the reader through time and place. Returning often to Philadelphia in the 1980s and 90s, these essays and stories reflect on family, relationships, and the mysteries of the city he found a home in."This lively collection of memoir essays and autobiographical fiction covers everything from gay bars to bird-watching to family to all kinds of music and queens of all varieties. Jim Cory has written a one-man history of gay life over several decades: friendly, literate, raunchy and surprising."- Chris Bram, author of Gods and Monsters"Jim Cory's fictions are accretions of quiet wisdom and shrewd observations. Elegantly written, they are witty, slyly humorous, and unfailingly urbane. Readers who appreciate Cory as a consummate poet will be delighted to discover he's also a consummate storyteller."- Vincent Czyz, author of The Christos Mosaic "Jim Cory's short stories have the meticulous craftsmanship and precise detail of the best nonfiction. His essays have the depth, expanse, and imagination of fine fiction. His dialogue is by turns hilarious, moving, and exasperatingly true. Why is that Goddamn Radio On? is a treasure house of a book I'll return to often."- Felice Picano, author of Justify My Sins "Travels fluidly through time, space, and various aesthetic and affective dimensions. Why is that Goddamn Radio On? gives me an experience of time, landscape and relationship that is kind of like talking to Jim. An aging queen telling stories. Observation of self and other that share the same bitchy accuracy. A document of queer life in Philadelphia that begins before AIDS and before gentrification and travels in loops of time and loss."- Marion Bell, author of Austerity
Will
Will, 22 years old mixed man, is living his best life. Well, it's what it looks like. He is surrounded by his friends and family, and they love him as much as he loves them. But Will has a problem: he is bisexual. In reality, it is not a problem but when you come from a very religious family, it's kind of is. In his process of finding a way to comfort himself and not fall into a depressing hole, he discovers SF (Safe Space), an app where people can write about anything and everything they like. And here begins the story of Will, filled with a lot of adventures and funny happenings. You want to know more about Will's story? Then you know what to do...
Winks at me
Toby Wentworth's life is a mess-no, scratch that-an absolute catastrophe. Between juggling school, his job, the demands of a social life, and the enormous, crushing weight of a secret he's not ready to share, Toby feels like he's spinning plates while blindfolded. Oh, and did I mention he's very, very gay? So deep in the closet, he might as well be living in Narnia with Mr. Tumnus and the gang.But life has a twisted sense of humor. Enter him: the guy from Toby's calculus class who has the audacity to wink at him during a lecture. The guy who now happens to be his partner for an important project. That single wink opens a floodgate Toby can't close. Suddenly, he's preoccupied with this boy-obsessively, relentlessly, maddeningly. Every glance, every conversation, every shared smile leaves Toby's heart pounding and his mind spiraling into endless "what-ifs."Toby tries-he really does-to keep his carefully constructed life together. But between school deadlines, work pressures, unexpected dramas, and his Olympic-level ability to overthink everything, things are starting to unravel. And the worst part? He can't stop thinking about that boy. Not when it feels so impossible, so forbidden, and yet so right.There are moments Toby wants to hate himself for these feelings. For wanting something that feels just out of reach. For craving a romance he knows he might never have. But there's also something exhilarating about the madness-about the possibility of him. It's the kind of trouble that leaves his stomach in knots, his head spinning, and his heart whispering, What if?And trouble, Toby is learning, sometimes comes with the sweetest rewards.So dive into Toby's story-a coming-of-age tale of self-discovery, heartbreak, and hope. Because sometimes, finding yourself starts with falling for someone who makes you feel seen for the very first time.
Payback
Award-winning author Penny Mickelbury takes readers on a beautiful and complicated journey through Harlem in 1953. This captivating story is passionate and alive, teeming with the contradictory joy and pain of Black life in America.World War II ended less than 10 years ago, and the Korean War less than one. But no one has recovered from wartime privations, especially the Colored soldiers who fought a ruthless enemy on foreign lands, expecting to return home with all the rights and privileges of American citizenship.But those rights and privileges remain few and far between, and Mickelbury's cast of characters find themselves reflecting on the Harlem they call home: they are educated and unschooled; wealthy and desperately poor; committed to improving circumstances for Negroes and abjectly hopeless. They create a family of and for themselves--women, men, children, gays, and the proudly self-named. They commit themselves to helping create a world to benefit their people based on hard work, artistic expression, and faith in their community.They have learned to live in the larger world by two guiding principles: Each One Teaches One, and Harm to One is Harm to All--because in this neighborhood, payback will always be swift and painful.
In Daddy's Hands
Boone is dangerous. Everyone knows it. Jupiter doesn't care. As the oldest son of the biggest weapons dealer on the west coast, Boone doesn't even try to live the life he wants. Years ago, reality taught him to accept being alone. Then a beautiful man with unearthly blue eyes caught his attention. Boone doesn't hesitate to stake his claim. Unfortunately, his past still exists in the present and it threatens everything he's trying to build. Jupiter sees Boone. His unhappiness and loneliness speaks to him. Since they belong to the same fetish club, Boone already knows what Jupiter needs and Jupiter can't resist. But all the crime family ugliness he thinks he can ignore is nothing compared to Boone's past. That's not as easy to swallow and might be the thing that destroys them. In Daddy's Hands is the second book in Charity Parkerson's Little Lost series where adorable, sometimes bratty, and scared Littles meet the men of their dreams.
Little F
One of LitHub's Most Anticipated Books of The YearA new epic novel about a teenage queer runaway from cult classic author of Black Wave and Valencia Michelle Tea.In Spencer's fantasies, the breezy, queer streets of Provincetown, MA, are utopia, a place where he can be free. Yet when a violent attack in his suburban Arizona schoolyard sends him to the hospital, he decides queer utopia can't wait. And one night, with the help of his best friend, the teenage witch Joy, he hitches a ride to find it.The cross-country road odyssey that follows brings Spencer from new moon rituals in Arizona canyons to Texas bus stations, from the luxe drag stages of Houston's Montrose district to the jazz-soaked streets of the French Quarter and beyond. This new novel from Michelle Tea tells the story, by turns raw, romantic, and sweet, of a sheltered boy taking his first leap into queer life, among all the complicated queers who live it.
