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38 LGBTQIA+ Books to Add to Your Pride Month TBR

Dahlia De La Vega — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

To celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community this Pride Month, I’ve gathered thirty-eight of my favorite queer stories. Whether you’re longing for a heist in the Faerie realm with your roommate (whom you may or may not have feelings for), yearning for an unforgettable adventure at a magic school in a queer-normative world, or searching for a quirky, cozy, and mossy spaceship to call home, I’ve got the story for you.

And They Were Roommates by Page Powars

Touching, thoughtful, and incredibly fun, And They Were Roommates is a delightful YA light academia romance.

Brewed with Love by Shelly Page

Sweet, cozy, and mysterious, Brewed with Love is a thrilling YA fantasy with witches, an immersive small-town setting, and a tender romance.

By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter

Blending the history of 1500s London with swoon-worthy romantic tension, By Any Other Name is an unforgettable YA historical fiction novel.

Call Forth a Fox by Markelle Grabo

With faerie curses and a cozy fairytale atmosphere, Call Forth a Fox beautifully retells the Brothers’ Grimm’s “Snow White and Rose Red.”

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Spellbinding and powerful, Cemetery Boys is a simultaneously heart-wrenching and heartwarming YA contemporary fantasy with mythology, ghosts, and brujx set during Día de Los Muertos.

Coming Out Perfect by Richard Mercado

Uplifting, hopeful, and funny, Coming Out Perfect is a beautiful YA graphic novel of familial expectations, fitting in, queer community, and coming out.

Daughter of the Bone Forest by Jasmine Skye

Set in a queer-normative world with a sentient forest, a magic school, shapeshifting, witches, and romance, Daughter of the Bone Forest is a sweeping YA fantasy.

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban

Witty, comforting, and swoony, Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend is a Victorian romance with hijinks, matchmaking, and love.

Exquisite Things by Abdi Nazemian

Empowering, thought-provoking, and romantic, Exquisite Things is a propulsive YA historical fantasy of art, storytelling, immortality, resistance, community, grief, belonging, and, ultimately, hope.

Furious by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos

Wildly entertaining and achingly beautiful, Furious is a swoon-worthy YA contemporary romance that’s perfect for fans of Fast & Furious.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

Swoony, hilarious, and riveting, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a heartwarming medieval romcom filled with found family, love, and witty banter galore.

Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews

With a bloodthirsty garden, gritty botanical horror, and lingering love story, Hazelthorn is an enrapturing YA gothic.

Just Between Us by Adeline Kon

Romantic, fierce, and heartwarming, Just Between Us is an unputdownable YA graphic novel with figure skating, romance, and stunning imagery.

Moss’d in Space by Rebecca Thorne

Quirky, vibrant, and wonderfully mossy, Moss’d in Space is a creative and hilarious cozy sci-fi novel.

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord

Set in a dystopian society with a dark academia atmosphere, body-swapping, assassins, and magic, Queen of Faces is a sharp and lyrical YA fantasy.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Laugh-out-loud funny with found family and forbidden romance, Red, White & Royal Blue is a cinematic and irresistible contemporary romance.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

Monstrous and splendidly strange, Someone You Can Build a Nest In is a quirky, vicious, and surprisingly cozy fantasy.

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

Brimming with wit, whimsy, romance, and magical creatures, Sorcery and Small Magics is an enchanting cozy fantasy.

Soul of a Gentleman Witch by David Ferraro

Sweeping and threaded with magic, Soul of a Gentleman Witch is an addictive YA cozy fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Howl’s Moving Castle and The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Tenderly, I am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone

With a breathtaking romance, lyrical prose, and an eerie atmosphere, Tenderly, I am Devoured is a magical YA fantasy.

The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton

Brimming with friends-to-lovers yearning, Fae, and a riveting heist, The Absinthe Underground is a captivating YA fantasy perfect for fans of Moulin Rouge! and The Cruel Prince.

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sara Raasch

Funny, vibrant, and magical, The Entanglement of Rival Wizards is an addictive fantasy romcom with academic rivals-to-lovers tension.

The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray by Christine Calella

With a maritime adventure, a beautiful sibling bond, and a compelling cast, The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray is a gritty, emotional, and exhilarating YA fantasy.

The House of Now and Then by Edward Underhill

Heartfelt and hopeful, The House of Now and Then is a sweeping summer romance with an undertone of magic set in Cape Cod.

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

With witches, a dark academia atmosphere, demons, and a murder mystery, The Invocations is a gripping and haunting YA thriller.

The Last Best Quest Ever by F.T. Lukens

Magical, adventurous, and hilarious, The Last Best Quest Ever is a delightful YA fantasy romp with found family and fantastical creatures.

The Leaving Room by Amber McBride

Spellbinding and achingly beautiful, The Leaving Room is a tender YA novel-in-verse brimming with emotion, memories, family recipes, love, and hope.

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J.R. Dawson

Set in modern-day Chicago and threaded with Greek mythology, The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is a poignant and touching urban fantasy perfect for fans of Hadestown.

The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson

Infused with horror, art, and romance, The Macabre is an adventurous and inventive contemporary fantasy.

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska

With adventure, magic, and rivals-to-lovers tension, The Midnight Girls is a cinematic and whimsical YA fantasy.

With Fire in Their Blood by Kat Delacorte

Set in Italy with witches, a love square, and warring mafia clans, With Fire in Their Blood is a romantic and thrilling YA paranormal romance.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Vicious, sharp, and brilliantly unsettling, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a YA historical fantasy set in London, 1883.

This Must Be the Place by Kelly Quindlen

Welcoming, emotional, and tender, This Must Be the Place is a captivating YA contemporary novel with found family set in small-town Alabama.

This Raging Sea by De Elizabeth

Sea-soaked, haunting, and lush, This Raging Sea is a YA dark fantasy with romance, eldritch secrets, horror, witches, and time travel.

Time After Time by Mikki Daughtry

Vivid and romantic, Time After Time is a breathtaking YA romance following two love stories set one hundred years apart.

Vile Lady Villains by Danai Christopoulou

Sharp, lyrical, and twisty, Vile Lady Villains is a fierce and creative fantasy threaded with Greek mythology and Shakespeare.

We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune

Heavy yet full of life, We Burned So Bright is a heart-wrenching but unexpectedly comforting fantasy of humans at the end of the world facing love, loss, and life itself.

What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch

Twisty, immersive, and magical, What Wakes the Bells is a gripping YA fantasy with a gothic atmosphere inspired by a Prague legend.

From heartwarming found families to swoon-worthy romances to laugh-out-loud banter, these stories bring extra queer joy, community, and love to the Pride Month celebration. Happy reading, and Happy Pride Month!

The post 38 LGBTQIA+ Books to Add to Your Pride Month TBR appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Q&A: Mikki Daughtry, Author of ‘Time After Time’

Elise Dumpleton — Tue, 27 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000

We chat with author Mikki Daughtry about Time After Time, which is an unforgettable sapphic romance featuring two love stories, one hundred years apart.

Hi, Mikki! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m a screenwriter and novelist living in Los Angeles. My day job, I guess you’d say, is writing movies. I do love a good novel writing binge, though. It allows me to go more deeply into the characters.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t love stories – hearing them or telling them or imagining them. I’ve been a daydreamer all my life. It was only a matter of time before I made it my profession.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

The first book you ever remember reading: A Dog Called Kitty by Bill Wallace.
The one that made you want to become an author: No one particular book made me want to write. The books I love are books I could never live up to, nor would I ever compare myself to. They’re too good. I write because I have stories that want to be told.
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I will never be able to stop thinking about Wuthering Heights or One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Your latest novel, Time After Time, is out May 27^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

A sapphic, second-chance romance. Does the hyphenated word count as one or two?

What can readers expect?

A lot of love. Some mystery, some heartache. A little bit of fate. A dash of magic. And romance. Romance romance romance.

Where did the inspiration for Time After Time come from?

The idea just landed in my body one night. My ideas come from somewhere outside myself. Or maybe it’s somewhere inside myself. I can’t honestly tell you. They just show up when they’re ready to be told. And I try to tell them the best I can, and hope the whole time that I’m doing them justice.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Besides my main characters, Honey Harper was the most fun for me. She’s such an asshole.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Ha. Every damned day. I’m a screenwriter by trade and we are trained to cut any excess fat. Writing a novel is the exact opposite. Deep dives into character and thoughts are what novels are meant for, so there are always speedbumps when I go back and forth. It’s a special kind of hell for me when I’m working on a novel and a screenplay at the same time. I end up overwriting one and underwriting the other.

What’s next for you?

A movie! Right now I’m writing the screenplay for the remake of A WALK TO REMEMBER. I’m ridiculously excited about this project. I’ve always loved both the novel and the movie. It’s my first time adapting a Nicholas Sparks book, which, for a love story fanatic like myself, is kinda the ultimate dream come true.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

Not sure yet. I’ve been so focused on getting my own book out that I haven’t caught up with what’s out there. I can’t wait, though. I’d love to find a new favorite!

Will you be picking up Time After Time? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Mikki Daughtry, Author of ‘Time After Time’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Q&A: Mikki Daughtry & Rachael Lippincott, Authors of ‘All This Time’

Sarah Campsall — Sun, 27 Sep 2020 13:00:12 +0000

From the authors behind Five Feet Apart, a #1 New York Times bestseller and hit movie, comes a gripping new romance, perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Fault in Our Stars

We spoke with screenwriter Mikki Daughtry and YA author Rachael Lippincott, the talent behind the book and movie, Five Feet Apart. In this interview, they chat about their upcoming novel, All This Time (September 29th 2020), along with discussing writing, collaborating, and the stories and songs that get the tears flowing.

Hi Mikki and Rachael! Can you tell us a little about yourselves?

MIKKI: I’m Mikki. Screenwriter, novelist, dreamer. I’d like to say “storyteller,” but when I think of the real storytellers, I think of Sigrid Undset, Gabriel García Márquez, Paulo Coelho, Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro. And if these are storytellers, I dare not pretend to play in their sandbox. Maybe one day. Maybe. For now, I’m just a girl from a small Georgia town who’s living in Los Angeles, working to make her dreams come true.

RACHAEL: For sure! I’m Rachael, a Y.A. author, originally from outside of Philly, but currently based in Pittsburgh. I fell in love with the city after going to school out here, and ended up sticking around long past my graduation date.

What would you say inspired All This Time, and is there anything that sets it apart from similar books in its genre?

MIKKI: All This Time was inspired by Marley and Kyle. My stories all stem from the same place. I’ll get a nudge, a hint, or a whisper from a character trying to get my attention. So I listen, always, and I let myself disappear from this world and I go to my other world, the world that lives inside me. Then the characters will kind of… walk in, and they live their moment, or their scene, this thing they want me to see. I then build a story around that moment. The inspiration, I believe, is my characters’ gift to me. Crafting a fully realized story from that moment is my gift to them. For this story in particular, it was Kyle’s whisper I heard. But then he introduced me to Marley, and I realized that although this was Kyle’s story, it was about Marley. I hesitate to say what sets it apart from similar books because I don’t want to give anything away. But I will say… if Five Feet Apart had a sister book, this one is it. These stories are very much sprouted from the same soil.

I see that there are already plans for the film adaptation! Are you able to share anything about the upcoming film or perhaps any hopes you may have?

MIKKI: I’ll be working with Lionsgate again! They were involved with FIVE FEET APART (the movie), and they’re the studio behind the DIRTY DANCING sequel I’m working on. I love, respect, and trust everyone there. But unlike FFA, the All This Time novel is being released before we shoot the film, LOL. This will be a more traditional book-to-screen adaptation. Hopefully it will strike the right chord with the viewers who loved FFA. That’s what I always hope for: a film that is well-loved by the audience for whom I’m writing.

RACHAEL: This one is all Mikki! I’m just super excited to see another story I was fortunate to work on being brought to the big screen.

Can you explain a bit about your writing process?

MIKKI: It starts with that whisper from my inner world. I don’t outline. I don’t plot out too much in advance. I find that a detailed outline severely restricts me creatively. I’m unable to flow, unable to break away from ‘the plan,’ and then my story has no magic; it has no surprise, because I didn’t allow myself the freedom to be surprised in the writing of it. I need to be able to feel, to listen, to pivot, to completely change direction if need be. I need to be able to follow the whisper, wherever it leads me. I have signposts, for sure, scenes I know must happen, and then, if I’m open and connected, and if the story is meant to be told by me, it just flows. Probably the most tangible thing I do as part of my process is make a music playlist. I spend hours listening to music, compiling songs that make me feel the way the story makes me feel. The synergy between music and storytelling is vital to me. It’s like hot chocolate on a rainy day, or a snow cone at the beach. They just go together.

RACHAEL: I’m a big planner when it comes to writing. When I get a spark of an idea, I kind of sit back and let myself experience it for a while, being completely immersed in it. I’ll listen to music, or play out different scenarios in my head, and try to come at it from different angles, just writing out small scenes or lines that come to me, trying to let the characters show me who they are and the world they live in. Then, I’ll sit down and write the first couple chapters, before outlining the rest of the story. I’m ALL about outlining. For me, it’s the difference maker between an idea being an idea, and a fully completed book. You can’t edit an empty page!

What advice would you give to someone looking to collaborate to write a book as a team?

MIKKI: Well, I have a full-time writing partner, Tobias Iaconis, with whom I’ve worked for nearly a decade. Working with Rachael was a completely different process. I met Rachael when she was brought in by Simon & Schuster to adapt my screenplay for Five Feet Apart into a novel. The film was already prepping to go into production when Rachael started the adaptation. It was crazy and wild and fun. I’d literally be making changes on set as scenes were being filmed and I’d call Rachael and send her the new pages. It was like she was adapting in real time. It was a rollercoaster, for sure. Stressful as hell, but definitely worth it.

We worked so well together, using this process, that All This Time was a no brainer. I had the screenplay written, the story was told, and I handed it to Rachael. Since we weren’t trying to concurrently film the movie, I was able to be really hands-on, do some writing myself, and totally freaking micromanage everything. Poor Rachael. I’m sure she woke up screaming more than once. But she’s the best. It’s kind of scary, if I’m honest, because the further we got into the writing of this one, the more she was able to just intuit what I would want before she even had to ask me. Now that was cool.

RACHAEL: I think a huge thing in this particular collaboration, and from my experience of working as a “team” with Mikki, is trust. When Mikki hands me her screenplays, THE STORY, to adapt into a book, it takes a lot of trust, and I definitely don’t take that lightly. I think it’s necessary for this entire process to work, and if a collaborative process DOES NOT have it, it simply isn’t going to be a successful one.

Mikki noted this, but I think it really grew to a point that we understood each other between mediums in a really cool and intuitive way. I think it was more than just having previously worked together on Five Feet Apart. There was just a deep level of understanding. Working on the same wavelength.

Why do you think audiences like to watch films and read about love stories? What do you think makes a love story special?

MIKKI: I can only speak for myself, but I think the world is such a hard place to live in sometimes. Love gives me hope that there is a softness waiting to insulate me from the sharp edges of life. It is that thing that pulls me from the brink when I most need it, and usually, when I least expect it. Love is a universal language and I’ll take it in any form: movie, play, book, poetry, music, art – bring on the love!

RACHAEL: It’s the magic of existing, isn’t it? The fact that we can meet another person and connect in a deep and powerful way. A way that can change your life, and leave a stamp on your soul. It’s at the core of everything.

I’ve seen your previous work, Five Feet Apart, described as tearjerking and tragic, but sometimes it’s nice to have a good cry! Are there any films, books, or songs that get the tears flowing?

MIKKI: LAST OF THE MOHICANS kills me every time. That’s probably, for me, the most swoon-worthy movie ever. “Stay alive. I will find you.” Just pick me up off the floor, because I’m dead. PONETTE is a start to finish cry-fest for me. I’m talking snot-sucking, ugly-face sobs. The end of THE ORPHANAGE breaks my soul. “It’s Laura!” Omigod. Just stop. I cry at least once every time I read a Kazuo Ishiguro book. Never Let Me Go still hasn’t let me go. Liane Moriarity usually gets me at least once or twice in every book she writes. As for music… there are too many songs to list. When I’m getting my melancholy on, I listen to Sleeping At Last, Cigarettes After Sex, and Novo Amor.

RACHAEL: Are there ever! How many can I name? Coco, The Farewell, A Walk to Remember. The “Life Is a Cabaret” episode of Schitt’s Creek, and Emily Hampshire’s insane acting. Mikki recommended Saturn by Sleeping At Last to me, which is VERY All This Time, and sure to leave you in a puddle of your tears.

Is there any particular message you’d like readers to take away from All This Time?

MIKKI: I hope the story of Kyle and Marley encourages all the dreamers out there to dream with a capital D and decide for themselves what love is, what they want it to be, and what it can be.

RACHAEL: Just a belief that love can do some pretty extraordinary things.

Mikki – we just have to ask about the Dirty Dancing sequel that you’ve signed on to write alongside Tobias Iaconis. Is there anything you can share or tease?

MIKKI: Listen, I feel like I’ve stepped outside my body and this happened to someone else. DIRTY DANCING was a seminal movie experience for me, and just the thought of it kind of makes me lightheaded. Every time Tobias and I work on the script, I have to pinch myself. Unfortunately, I can’t tease anything. I’d like to keep my head attached to my body, thank you very much. Even more importantly, though, I’d like to keep my job. LOL.

Is there any book or film you wish you could have the experience of experiencing for the first time again?

RACHAEL: First thing that popped into my head was Shutter Island. I think I’m in so deep with my favorite books and movies that I’d hate to have them wiped from my brain. Part of my love for them is the existing experience.

MIKKI: I’m with Rachael here. Every time I rewatch or re-read something I love, it’s like the first time, but the knowledge of it, the “existing experience,” as Rachael said, just heightens my enjoyment.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

MIKKI: I read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho at least once every two or three years. I love The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro destroyed me. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn will always be one of my favorite books. One Hundred Years Of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez is an epic that I can’t get enough of. And Agamemnon (the play) by Aeschylus. This is probably my favorite story of all time. Agamemnon is everything.

RACHAEL: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour is a book I probably talk about more than my own books. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reed, A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namery, Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins, which is coming to the US all the way from Brazil in November. Just a few, but I’m very fond of all of them!

**Will you be picking up All This Time? Tell us in the comments below!**

The post Q&A: Mikki Daughtry & Rachael Lippincott, Authors of ‘All This Time’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.