Fall 2019 Books I’m Anticipating

This is a list of books I’m excited about that are coming out September-November 2019.

Disclosure: All links to Amazon will be affiliate ones. If you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money on that sale (which I plan to use to buy books to review), but it will not add any to the cost of your product. It comes out of the company’s profits.

September Releases

• Black Tie Billionaire by Naima Simone (Sept 1) An enemies to lovers revenge m/f romance. I’m intrigued.
• Keep Faith ed by Gabriela Martins (Sept 1) An anthology of 14 short stories, by 14 queer authors, where faith and queerness intersect, with an amazing lineup of authors.
• Island Fling with the Tycoon by Therese Beharrie (Sept 1) I love Beharrie’s romances and at this point she’s an instabuy author. This one has a romance that emerges from a disastrous wedding and forced proximity and it was really lovely.
• It’s Okay to Be Where You Are At by Nicole Field/boi nik (Sept 1) A short collection of essays about ending D/s relationships.

• Lord of the Last Heartbeat by May Peterson (Sept 2) I have been anticipating this book for at least a year. This debut queer high fantasy romance with a non-binary MC looks wonderful. I hear that it contains: a smol magical opera singer, a snarky immortal bear shifter, a deadly curse, and tons of romantic tension!
• Stage Dreams by Melanie Gilman (Sept 3) A comic western centering a Latinx queer woman and a trans woman, by a non-binary comic artist, yes please!
• Work For It by Talia Hibbert (Sept 3) A scowling giant gardner. A new man in town. Enemies to lovers, m/m contemporary, by one of my most favorite authors. This book gave me so many feelings.
• Well Met by Jen De Luca (Sept 3) This m/f enemies to lovers romances is set at a Ren Faire, and I really enjoyed it.

• Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson (Sept 3) A middle grade book by an author whose work I love, about family, and Harlem, and finding ways to connect to history.
• The Truth Is by NoNieqa Ramos (Sept 3) In this YA, a questioning Puerto Rican heroine dates a trans boy and has to deal with the prejudice of her own family as well as her own internalized homophobia.
• NDN Coping Mechanisms: Notes from the Field by BillyRay Belcourt (Sept 3) This genre-bending work employs poetry, poetics, prose, and textual art to illuminate NDN and queer social worlds.
• Pack Ties by Ceillie Simkiss (Sept 5) Werewolves, queerplatonic partnership, and a fantasy story by an author whose work I enjoy. Yes please.

• Love and the Laws of Motion by Amanda Weaver (Sept 9) Forced proximity geek/hacker romance set in Brooklyn, and I’m sold.
• A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai (Sept 10) This YA about a girl with a gift for matchmaking looks really fun.
• Stargazing by Jen Wang (Sept 10) This middle grade graphic novel is about friendship and stars and identity and looks lovely.
• His Hideous Heart ed by Dahlia Adler (Sept 10) This YA collection of Edgar Allen Poe retellings has an amazing lineup of authors!

• The Prom: A Novel Based on the Hit Broadway Musical by Saundra Mitchell (Sept 10) This YA about a girl who wants to take her girlfriend to prom and the Broadway has-beens who try to help looks like a lot of fun.
• Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers by Jake Skeets (Sept 10) A poetry collection grappling with alcoholism, queer sexuality, toxic masculinity,and the West, by a queer indigenous poet. I’ve heard wonderful things about this book.
• How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters (Sept 10) Part identity exploration story, part romantic comedy, this YA is by an author whose work I’ve enjoyed and I’ve heard it’s wonderful.
• Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan (Sept 10) This YA centers a girl who is pregnant and needs to take an intense road trip in order to access an abortion, who takes that trip with the only person possible: her ex BFF.

• An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo (Sept 10) I do not want to miss this new book by one of my favorite poets.
• Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (Sept 10) This YA grapples with the question: how do you save the world from monsters if nobody will admit that they exist? It sounds completely wonderful and I’ve heard such good things.
• The Not Wives by Carley Moore (Sept 10) A novel of sex-positive awakening and burgeoning political resistance, set in Occupy-era New York City. I’ve heard really good things about this one.
• Gold and Jasper by Michelle Kan (Sept 13) An aromantic Chinese fairy tale about a guard, a thief and a peach grove.

• It’s a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories ed by Katherine Locke (Sept 17) A collection of short stories about Jewish teens, with an awesome line-up of authors. So excited for this.
• A Gingerbread Romance by Lacey Baker (Sept 17) A baker and an architect team up for a life-sized gingerbread house designing contest. Need I say more? This is exactly the kind of holiday romance I get excited about.
• Hustling Verse: An Anthology of Sex Worker’s Poetry ed by Amber Dawn and Justin Ducharme (Sept 17) I’ve been excited about this book since I first heard about it. So glad it’s coming out soon!
• Becoming Beatriz  by Tami Charles (Sept 17) A YA historical YA set in NJ in 1984, centering a dancer whose dream is to meet Debbie Allen. Sign me up.

• The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus (Sept 17) The most gorgeous cover ever! This f/f YA is a debut that sounds utterly wonderful. It’s dual voiced, and is the story of two black girls from very different backgrounds finding love and happiness in a world that seems determined to deny them both.
• Into the Deep by Amara Lynn (Sept 19) A pirate/merman m/m fantasy romance, yes please.
• Arctic Heat by Annabeth Albert (Sept 23) Snowed in, city mouse/country mouse m/m romance by one of my favorite romance writers. I’m all in.
• Love Spells for the End of the World by Alys Murray (Sept 23) The rest of the full title says it all: or The story of how a witch, a witch hunter, the witch’s two aunts and her teacup dragon accidentally start (and then prevent) the end of the world. Did I mention this was a Halloween romance?

• Hearth and Home by Rebel Carter (Sept 23) I fell hard for the cover of this historical romance in the Gold Sky series, and I’m really looking forward to reading.
• I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl’s Notes from the End of the World by Kai Cheng Thom (Sept 24) I have been eagerly anticipating this book of essays by one of my most favorite trans writers for quite some time and I’m excited that it’s almost here.
• Tempted at Midnight by Cheris Hodges (Sept 24) I love New Years romances, and this one has the classic trope of one night stand then oops it turns out we are working together, which is a lot of fun.

• Slay by Brittney Morris (Sept 24) This YA centers a Black teen girl who is secretly the game developer for a Black Panther-type video game. When her game is under attack by critics, trolls, and the media, how can she preserve her anonymity and save the game at the same time?
• The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and the Fierce ed by Angie Manfredi (Sept 24) This YA collection of poetry, art and prose celebrating fat acceptance has an awesome author lineup and is one of the 2019 books I’m most excited for.
• Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker (Sept 24) Historical YA set in the 90s about a teen girl grappling with her Black identity, going to a school where she’s surrounded by white people, and her own mental health.

 

• Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternak (Sept 24) This middle grade novel centers a Jewish girl who is hunting a dragon…until she begins to wonder if dragons are in fact monsters.
• The Write Escape by Charish Reid (Sept 30) Literary editor loses her job and takes a trip to Ireland where she has a holiday fling with a lit professor. But could it be more?
• Goalie Interference by Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn (Sept 30) I have been anticipating book 2 in this m/m hockey romance series for a long time, and I am so excited to read it!

 

October Releases

• Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia (Oct 1) A YA mystery by an author whose work I’ve loved, with an ace MC? I definitely want to read this!
• 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston (Oct 1) This YA holiday romance centers a girl who has just been dumped who is setup on ten blind dates over Christmas break visiting her family.
• Holding Onto Day by EH Timms (Oct 1) Snowed in fantasy story centering a vampire and a werewolf who are aroace and aromantic allosexual. Yes please, especially with the trans, non-binary and disability representation. Also I love the cover!
• Freeing Finch by Ginny Rorby (Oct 1) This middle grade novel centers a trans girl who seeks solace in her relationships with animals.

• Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance ed by Bethany C Morrow (Oct 1) This collection of YA fiction has an amazing line-up of authors and looks absolutely wonderful.
• Ready for the Rancher by Zuri Day (Oct 1) This no strings attached to lovers romance looks like a lot of fun.
• Christmas Seduction by Jessica Lemmon (Oct 1) This contemporary m/f Christmas romance has a hero learning that he’s adopted and bringing a fake fiance to meet his birth parents for the first time.
• Holidays in Manhattan by Jennifer Gracen (Oct 3) An opposites attract m/f Chanukah/Christmas romance. I want all the Chanukah romance I can find.

• Xeni: A Marriage of Inconvenience by Rebekah Weatherspoon (Oct 4) I loved this m/f romance with two bi leads so much, and I’m excited for it to be out in the world!
• American Love Story by Adriana Herrera (Oct 7) This is the third installment in a wonderful m/m romance series. I fell hard for Patrice from the first book and I’m looking forward to seeing him get his happy ending.
• The Best At It by Maulik Pancholy (Oct 8) A middle grade novel about a gay Indian American boy grappling with his identity, friendships, and bullying.
• By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery (Oct 8) I loved this author’s debut and this YA centering a queer boy trying to juggle college, a romance, and saving his uncle’s bee farm sounds wonderful.

• Our Year in Love and Parties by Karen Hattrup (Oct 8) This second chance YA romance takes place entirely at parties, and has a super soft hero.
• A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau (Oct 8) A one night stand he can’t get out of his mind shows up at Thanksgiving dinner as his brother’s blind date, arranged by meddling family. So ready for this.
• Look Both Ways: A Tale Told In Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds (Oct 8) A collection of short stories organized around walking home from school, by an author whose work I’ve loved.
• Hazels Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jane Bigelow (Oct 8) A middle grade novel with an ace spectrum main character, sign me up.

• Faker by Sarah Smith (Oct 8) Enemies to lovers, forced proximity workplace romance, yes please.
• Happier as a Woman: Transforming Friendships, Transforming Lives by Martina Giselle Ramirez and Alicia Partnoy (Oct 8) I love that this is a trans memoir that focuses on friendship. 
• Lush Money by Angelina Lopez (Oct 14) I hear this marriage of convenience m/f romance is completely wonderful and I’m excited to read!
• I Promise by Catherine Hernandez, illustrated by Syrus Marcus Ware (Oct 15) This children’s book centers queer families.

• The Dragon Warrior by Katie Zhao (Oct 15) A middle grade fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology set in San Francisco, sign me up!
• Christmas with the Billionaire & A Tiara for Christmas by Niobia Bryant and Carolyn Hector (Oct 15) Yes please give me all the holiday romances complete with secrets and opposites attract.
• Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor (Oct 15) I have been excited for the ownvoices aromantic spectrum representation in this YA science fantasy novel for so long.
• Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker (Oct 15) Graphic novel romance with witches and werewolves and Deaf, queer, and non-binary representation. Sign me up.

• Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia (Oct 15) A middle grade fantasy novel drawing on African American folklore, centering an MC who is grieving the death of his best friend.
• Homesick by Nino Cipri (Oct 15) Speculative fiction stories that foreground queer relationships and transgender or nonbinary characters that center home as theme, yes please.
• An Army of Lovers: Women’s Music of the 70s and 80s by Jamie Anderson (Oct 15) I’m really interested in queer histories like this, and this history in particular, especially since it was one of the pockets of feminist creativity that was trans inclusive. I’m hoping this book is written in a way that honors that.
• Her Christmas Wish & Designed by Love by Sherelle Green and Sheryl Lister (Oct 15) Thank you I do want more holiday romances that begin with one night stands. Especially with a gorgeous cover like that!

• Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao (Oct 15) This YA centers a girl who was the only Asian person at her school until another Taiwanese student arrives. When she strikes up a friendship with him, her mother tells her to stay away, prompting her to dig into why, which leads to uncovering family secrets.
• Hard Chrome by Vanessa North (Oct 21) Yes I want an angsty sexy romance with a heroine who runs a classic car shop.
• Rebent Sinner by Ivan Coyote (Oct 22) I love Coyote’s writing so much, and this collection of stories sounds especially wonderful.
• Gilded Cage by KJ Charles (Oct 23) Long time enemies, a detective and a jewel thief, try to solve a murder together in this m/f historical romance.

• Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (Oct 29) An HIV-positive teen navigates fear, disclosure, and radical self-acceptance when she falls in love–and lust–for the first time.
• The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah (Oct 29) I really love stories set under the ocean, and this involves a submersible race and a girl trying to save her father.
• Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves ed by Glory Edim (Oct 30) A collection of essays by black women writers on the importance of recognizing ourselves in literature.
• The Trans Space Octopus Congregation by Bogi Takács (Oct 31) The debut short story collection by one of my favorite SFF authors!

November Releases

• Holiday by Candlelight by Laurel Greer (Nov 1) An interracial Chanukah romance (those are very rare) with a newly disabled hero.
• Graveyard Shift by Jenn Burke (Nov 4) The third book in the Not Dead Yet m/m paranormal mystery series. In this one, the couple moves in together and tries to figure out what’s going on with a rash of vampire attacks.
• The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (Nov 5) A group of men form a book club to read romance in order to better understand their wives. I need to try this!
• Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (Nov 5) A neighbors to lovers bucket list romance with a chronically ill heroine by one of my most favorite romance authors, yes please.

• The Princess Who Flew With Dragons by Stephanie Burgis (Nov 5) By an author whose work I’ve enjoyed, and an MC whose BFF is a dragon! I’m in.
• A Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo (Nov 5) This magical realist YA novel centers a kid with a talent for picking pockets who gets court ordered to go live with family in Kansas. 
• The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (Nov 5) A discovery in a mysterious library book leads a graduate student on a magical adventure
• The Deep by Rivers Solomon (Nov 5) A standalone fantasy novella about an ocean dwelling species descended from enslaved people, inspired by a song by Daveed Diggs. This book looks amazing.

• Shine of the Ever by Claire Rudy Foster (Nov 5) This short story collection is a literary mix tape of queer voices out of 1990s Portland.
• We Met In December by Rosie Curtis (Nov 5) A neighbors to lovers Christmas m/f romance set in London.
• The Book of Lost Saints by Daniel José Older (Nov 5) An evocative multigenerational Cuban American family story of revolution, loss, violence, and family bonds.
• Major Misconduct: The Human Cost of Fighting in Hockey by Jeremy Allingham (Nov 5) This non-fiction book focuses on CTE in hockey players and given my new interest in hockey romance, it seems like an important read.

• Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz (Nov 5) I’ve been anticipating this YA romance between two chronically ill teens forever and I’m so glad it’s almost out.
• The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White (Nov 5) This YA reimagining of Arthurian legend centers Guinevere.
• Detours: A Decolonial Guide to Hawai’i edited by Hokulani K. Aikau & Vernadette Vicuña Gonzalez (Nov 8) In this reinvention of the travel guide, artists, activists, and scholars redirect readers from the fantasy of Hawai‘i as a tropical paradise and tourist destination toward a multilayered and holistic engagement with Hawai‘i’s culture and complex history.
• Open House by Ruby Lang (Nov 11) This enemies to lovers romance is the second in a series I am enjoying immensely, and I’m excited for it.

• When the Stars Lead You by Ronnie Davis (Nov 12) I hear that the Black biracial representation in this YA about first love is fantastic.
• A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas by Jackie Lau (Nov 12) I love second chance romances and road trip romances, and holiday romances, and I’m so excited for Lau’s Holidays with the Wongs series.
• Color Outside the Lines by Sangu Mandanna (Nov 12) This YA anthology explores the complexity and beauty of interracial and LGBTQ+ relationships where differences are front and center.
• Back to September by Melissa Brayden (Nov 12) Gotta try this f/f contemp between a romance novelist and a bookstore owner.

• All American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney (Nov 12) This YA centers a young Muslim woman struggling with religion, identity, belonging, falling in love, growing up, and confronting the expectations of family and community.
• Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender (Nov 12) An ambitious young woman with the power to control minds seeks vengeance against the royals who murdered her family, in a Caribbean-inspired fantasy world embattled by colonial oppression.
• Practically Ever After by Isabel Bandeira (Nov 12) This YA centers a queer girl whose life feels pretty much perfect, until it starts to unravel and she has a major fight with her girlfriend who’s going to go to a different college. Long distance relationships never last…should she just break up with her now?

Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher CR: Jove

• Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher (Nov 12) This is a retelling of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days by one of my favorite romance authors. I have been waiting for this to come out forever.
• Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin (Nov 19) This YA centers a girl who’s trying to find the funny in life (after all, she does comedy improv) when things are going rather badly.
• Catfishing on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer (Nov 19) A near-future science fiction YA thriller with a sentient AI, a social media site where folks share cat pics, and a teen girl who moves so often she never feels settled.

• My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh (Nov 26) This is the first in a series of historical romances inspired by 80s movies!
• The Bridal Suite by Rochele Alers (Nov 26) A single parent forced proximity romance all in the context of a wedding party. Sign me up.
• Forever and a Duke by Grace Burrowes (Nov 26) Who can resist a math genius heroine? I’ve been meaning to try a Burrowes romance and this one looks fun.
• Three for All by Elia Winters (Nov TBD) I am so excited for the last book in this Comes in Threes polyamorous romance series!
• The Naughty List by Jack Harbon (Nov TBD) I am so excited for this m/m/f Christmas romance!