I sat down to make a list of new and recent queer Latine books to read for Pride. But here’s the thing: I’ve been talking about most of the books that came to mind all year long. That’s a good thing, of course: celebration months should, after all, be gentle reminders to read lit by marginalized authors, but not the only time you think to do so. I’m proud to have queer books in my rotation year-round, but I didn’t want to just rehash recs I’ve made as recently as two weeks ago.
But lo, a happy coincidence! While rounding up a longer list of books to recommend, I discovered that Bookshop.org is running a sale on queer books for Pride. I combed through pages and pages of titles to pick out a whole bunch of queer Latine reads to read this month (and beyond!), all on sale now for 15% off. You get to support queer authors AND support indie bookstores while you do it—que mas quieren!? Just use code Pride26 at checkout to receive 15% off these titles now through June 30, 2026. The discount is off list prices and excludes ebooks.
A few notes: I split the books up into Adult and YA, and the list appears very fiction-dominant at first glance. Here’s where bonus picks come in: while I certainly found more fiction picks than nonfiction, you will find some nonfiction titles nested under fiction books by the same author. The same goes for bonus YA titles under adult recommendations, and in some cases, vice versa. Basically, it appears that most of the books in these authors’ catalogs are on sale. So if you like the authors, check out their pages on Bookshop to see all the books eligible for the discount—I stopped myself at a couple of bonus picks for each to avoid typing for 400 years.
Happy Pride!
Archive of Unknown Universes by Ruben Reyes Jr
Ruben Reyes Jr.’s fiction debut is a genre-bending tale of two families in alternate timelines of the Salvadoran civil war. In 1978 Havana and 2018 Cambridge, their stories explore displacement and loss, but also belonging and love. This is one of those books that asks big questions about what could have been.
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But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
This sapphic monster novella with gothic fantasy elements is inspired by the Mr. Fox variation of Bluebeard, and the monster here is a giant humanoid spider named Anatema, Lady of the Capricous house, who just killed the keeper of the keys (and by killed, I mean ate). Now the keeper’s protégée must take up the task of locking and unlocking the drawers of Anatema’s memories. Access to these memories could be the key to unraveling the crime that led to her predecessor becoming a spidey snack (yay). But Anatema loves her a beautiful woman, and has this pesky habit of devouring every one of them that crosses her path (less yay).
The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
In this spicy first entry in the Librarian in Love series, a librarian and an ex-NFL player do the fake dating thing to get over their first loves, one of whom is their brother’s fiancée. Yikes! I haven’t read this one yet and therefore can’t confirm if it’s queer, but I do know the author describes herself as writing queer, plus-size, Latine characters, and the second book in the series is definitely a sapphic romance. Speaking of which…
Also eligible: the other two books in the series: Kiss Me, Maybe and the forthcoming Second First Dates (out July 28)
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
In this literary horror debut, a grieving mother who can’t let go of her son keeps a small piece of his lung in a jar. Then the chunk starts to grow, and then keeps growing, and grows some more, until suddenly it’s a whole creature that reminds her of her son that she decides to raise as her own. This story is as good and delightfully weird as its over.
Muñeca by Cynthia Gomez
In late 1960s Oakland, Natalia is a queer, Latine, working-class witch who schemes her way into a position caring for Violeta Miramontes, a glamorous heiress to Spanish colonial wealth who’s been paralyzed by a mysterious illness. Natalia, whose mother once worked for the Miramontes, suspects Violeta’s condition is the work of malevolent witchcraft and vows to break the curse, a pursuit that will endanger not only her charge, but herself. Make sure to read the author’s note for this one, which provides some great context for the people and places that may (or may not) have inspired the story.
The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis
I came hella late to the Caro De Robertis fan club last year when I read So Many Stars. Then I found out they wrote a feminist and queer retelling of the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros, and now I’m a lifelong member of said club. I’m a sucker for a myth retelling, and De Robertis’ way with words is pure magic.
Also eligible: So Many Stars, Cantoras
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
Pitching a book as The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman is bold, but wow, does it make absolute sense. This is a gorgeous illustrated queer historical cozy fantasy about a young Boricua backsmith who captures a merman for a Coney Island sideshow act in 1900s New York. Being held captive isn’t usually a recipe for romance, but the two develop a camaraderie and friendship that soon shifts into something more—something deeper and much harder to walk away from.
You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado
The recently deceased patriarch of a wealthy family sows some light chaos in his final will and testament: he claims that someone in the family is a demon he made a bargain with long ago, and they need to suss out and get rid of said demon or else be damned. No one takes it seriously, save for his undisputed favorite, Xiomara. But when the rest of the family sends the lawyer away to retrieve the original will—you know, to be sure—a storm hits and leaves them all stranded together. Over a harrowing 12 hours locked indoors during a storm, all hell breaks loose, and it’s up to Xiomara to find the demon and take them out.
Also eligible: We Came to Welcome You (adult), Burn Down, Rise Up (YA)
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Machado wants what she wants, how she wants, with no regard for genre boundaries or convention, and it’s why I love her so much. This collection, which has the nerve to be her debut, explores women’s hunger, desire, and the violence imposed on their bodies. There’s the unsettling tale of a woman refusing her husband’s relentless requests to remove the green ribbon around her neck, or the one about the woman who gets her stomach stapled only to be haunted in the aftermath. Then there’s the novella that reimagines episodes of Law & Order: SVU, aptly titled, “Especially Heinous.” This book is queer and weird and dark and unlike anything I’ve ever read.
Also eligible: In the Dream House
Young Adult
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
I was going to say that someone is, at some point, going to make me stop talking about this book. But I’m the Managing Editor, so HA! I am unstoppable. When trans boy Yadriel’s traditional Latine family is reluctant to accept his gender, he decides to perform a ritual over Dia de Muertos to prove he’s a brujo and summons the wrong ghost. That ghost is Julian, a very cute classmate (and human golden retriever) who needs Yadriel’s help solving a mystery before he can cross over. This romantic fantasy is a witchy, magical, and culturally rich exploration of identity and so many kinds of love, including the cousin/bestie dynamic that is so special in Latine culture. This was one of my picks for our Best YA Books of the Century So Far, and I’m so excited for the sequel.
Also eligible: The Sunbearer Trials, and you can also preorder Cemetery Boys: Espíritu
Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa
If you want more nuanced explorations of masculinity and bisexuality in your sports romances, Jonny Garza Villa’s Futbolista is a must-read. Gabriel Piña is a collegiate soccer goalkeeper with dreams of going pro after graduation. But when he finds himself crushing on his philosophy tutor Vale, Gabriel fears what coming out could mean for his future as a pro athlete. An adaptation of this endearing coming-of-age story and swoon-worthy romance could be a real banger. —Susie Dumond
This is a New Adult title so I opted to put it under YA, mostly because the other books eligible for the discount by this author are solidly YA.
Also eligible: Ander & Santi Were Here, Canto Contigo
If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal
This is a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance set against the backdrop of a historic Black-owned movie theater. The enemies and lovers in question are an overachiever with her sights set on Wharton and her nemesis, who not only works at the theater she just got a job at—she’s her boss.
Also eligible: Two Can Play That Game, Sparks Fly (note: these are both adult titles)
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonido Reyes
After coming out to her best friend goes terribly wrong, Yamilet is ready for a fresh start at a new Catholic school. But she knows being a queer Mexican American student is going to make her and her brother’s experience there rocky at best, so she’s determined to stay in the closet. But that turns out to be even harder than expected when she meets the cute, charming, only out lesbian in the school. —Susie Dumond
Also eligible: The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore
You really can’t go wrong with any Anna-Marie McLemore, but this is them at their best. Self-Made Boys is an installment in a fantastic series of remixed classics, in which both Nick and Gatsby are trans, and Daisy is a queer Latina passing as white. So good!
Also eligible: Lakelore, Venom & Vow
These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa
This dystopian novel follows a teen descended from the god of Death who must keep their true identity on the low while on a quest to vanquish the gods who murdered their family. That quest, by the way, involves fighting in a gladiator-style competition. The stakes? Yeah, high.
Also eligible: The Wicked Bargain, Most Ardently (a queer Pride & Prejudice retelling in the same fantasy classics remixed series as Self-Made Boys)
For more Latine books, check out our Latine Lit archives.
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