Lo oking for the right hairdresser can be a hassle at the best of times, but when it comes to pricing why should your gender determine the price of a haircut? Here's a quick list of queer-owned and queer-friendly barbers and salons in the UK and Ireland that offer gender-neutral pricing: Barbarette London, England "We are a small, self-financed, fully accessible hub offering gender-neutral cuts at affordable prices. As one of the first established gender-neutral hair salons in the UK, we don't believe in paying extra for your gender, so our price list is solely in line with the style and length you're after. We also proudly cater for all hair types and textures." www.barberette.co.uk   Location: Warwick Works, Studio 11 Downs Road Lower Clapton London E5 8QJ Open Out (formerly Open Barbers) London, England "Open Out is a hairdressing service welcoming people of all/no genders and sexualities, with any hair length and type. As a not-for-profit Social Enterprise, our prices are on a sliding scale, where you pay what you can afford, starting at £5. Everyone is welcome! We specialise in friendly, attentive and personalised services, and we have lots of experience cutting hair free from gender stereotypes." www.openouthair.com Location: 4 Clunbury Street London N1 6TT Lightning Like Scissors Brighton, England "Lightning Like Scissors is Brighton’s first non-binary, gender-neutral barber shop and hair colour specialist, offering a friendly and safe space for the LGBTQIA+ and Neurodiverse community to express themselves freely, without judgement. This forward-thinking, award-winning studio believes that haircuts have no gender – so it’s time to break the binary and UNF*#K THE CISTEM!" www.lightninglikescissors.co.uk Location: 16 Preston St Brighton BN1 2HN Shotgun Barbers Bristol, England "At Shotgun we charge by the length of your hair, not gender. You pick your length-cut and our specialists will take care of you. We have assembled only the best hairdressers & barbers with a passion for creative cutting and creative colour, from Balayage to beards fades to fringes, we got ya!" www.shotgunbarbers.co.uk Locations: 1a Pitville Place Cotham Hill Bristol BS6 6JZ City Centre: 20 Bond Street Bristol BS1 3LU WoW Hair and Beauty Bar Cardiff, Wales "Welcome to WoW – an LGBTQ+ inclusive salon with gender-neutral pricing. We charge for the service you receive, not for who you are or how you identify! We are all unique in our own special way: none of us should feel the need to fit into other boxes. At WoW, staff and clients alike come together in one place to be accepted for who we are. After all, we are one of the few UK’s fully LGBTQ+ inclusive and gender-neutral salons." www.wowhairandbeautybar.co.uk Location: 25 Pen y Lan Road Roath Cardiff CF24 3PG Joshuaa Shaun Hair Salon Birmingham, England "We offer our clients something out of the ordinary. Our mission has always been to provide a safe space regardless of gender, sexuality, race or religion; becoming the first salon in the city to offer a price list purely based on services, rather than gender. " www.joshuaashaunhair.co.uk Location: 1471 Pershore Rd Stirchley Birmingham B30 2JL Curtis and York Nottingham, England "Studs, Hooligans, Queens, Dykes, Reprobates & Ageing Degenerates Most Welcome. LGBTQ+ Trans friendly/safe space. Whilst we do work with clippers on short hair, we are keen on longer hair requiring scissor cutting. Scissor Cut/Longer Hair: £19.75 Clipper & Scissor Cut/Short Back & Sides: £16.75 Crew Cut/Buzz Cut: £9.75" www.instagram.com/curtisandyork Location: 4 Goose Gate Nottingham NG1 1FE Fruttii London London, England "Fruittii London, a space where you enter feeling comfortable, relaxed without judgment, a safe and confidential place to those who are seeking to understand and be understood. Our team of artistic hair therapists work with you creating a hairstyle that will excel your confidence, enhance your beauty to a level where you feel like your soul has been cleansed! We are a dog friendly salon so you are welcome to bring your animal with you. We have a salon dog who is there part time, and if you wish for a dog free zone on your visit, please email us to make a request." www.tuttiifruittiilondon.com Location: Unit A, Norfolk House 9 Brookmill Road SE8 4HL CHAIR Cork, Ireland "Cork's curl specialist salon. Our salon is one of inclusivity with no gender and no binary - all ages, all welcome. We want you to feel safe and celebrated, we have a wild mixture of clients from LGBTQI rainbow to sweet knitting circles & our hardcore metal-heads! We welcome neurodivergent people, feel free to ask us about times that suit you that are quieter or if you are a little shy." www.chair.ie Location: 22 Georges Quay Cork City T12 HPP9 Stag Barber Co. Edinburgh, Scotland "Our prices are based on hair length, not gender and as a result, we have a hugely diverse range of clients. We have clients who are doctors and clients who are drag queens. There are antique dealers, multi millionaires and students from the school of art on the corner. All of them meet in our shop, at Stag we all come together." www.stagbarberco.com Location: 10 Haymarket Terrace Edinburgh EH12 5JZ Barber Below Manchester, England "Barber Below is a family. Our gender-neutral safe space is all about being true to yourself and your own unique style. We are based underneath the RCNQ salon in the heart of the bustling NQ. Our space is reminiscent of a super-stylish 70s living room. With a nostalgic playlist to match, we guarantee this’ll be your new favourite hair haunt!" www.barberbelow.com Location: 16 Whittle Street Manchester M4 1LT KITCH Hair London, England "At KITCH we aim to offer the highest standards alongside a unique salon experience, with the comfort and relaxed feeling of having your hair done at home in the kitchen with friends. We treat everyone as equals by providing a price list based on hair length, time and products not gender. " www.kitchhair.co.uk Location: 4 Charlton Place London N1 8AJ The Gentlefolks Barber Dewsburry & West Yorkshire, England "To ensure affordability for all my clients, all services have been made available at a sliding scale price. You can find The Gentlefolks Barber at pop-ups across queer venues in West Yorkshire throughout the year, or book an at-home visit. You can also pay for someone else's haircut with our pay-it-forward program which enables me to offer free haircuts to anyone who is black or trans and on low income." (check out their instagram for updates on upcoming pop-up events) Location: Check Instagram for pop-ups or book an at-home cut in West Yorkshire. Proper Barbers Olney, England "Our team of specialists are thrilled to bring our passion, knowledge, and creativity to the beautiful market town of Olney and surrounding villages. Our aim, as a small but ever-expanding business, is to create a gender-neutral environment, for people of all ages to enjoy, relax and unwind." Proper Barbers offers gender-neutral barbering, eyebrow, and nail appointments. www.properbarbershairandbeauty.com Location: Dagnall House Stanley Court Olney MK46 5NH Blunt Lines Salon Reading, England "Blunt Lines salon is here for the ultimate alternative salon experience. Whether that’s because you prefer to stay away from mainstream or you don’t like the usual salon experiences. My space is open to all people, it’s about the hair nothing else. It’s a safe space for you to have the freedom to be YOU!No topics are off limits and I can create the hair of your deepest desires! We’re going to have a blast!." https://bluntlineshair.wordpress.com/ Location: 229 Peppard Road Emmer Green RG4 8UQ WILDE Studio Worcester, England "At WILDE we believe in gender-neutral pricing, the cost of your service reflects the time and skill taken to achieve your vision. We prioritize quality over quantity, each service allows time for an in-depth consultation with your stylist, a relaxing hair wash and a drink of your choice." https://booksy.com/en-gb/69469_wilde-by-barber-mads_barber_1341496_worcester Location: Unit 5 Market Hall The Shambles Worcester WR1 2RF Betties + Baldwins Bristol, England "We are known for our colouring; bright vivids, pastels and seamlessly blended balayage, and natural shades. But thats not all we do! Your long virgin locks and cute little crops, be it a precision hair cut or a textured look that you’re after, all are catered for by our expert team. We charge for the amount of time spent with us, not by gender or hair type. We celebrate individuality, and our unique salon reflects this." www.bettiesandbaldwins.com Location: 12 Small St Bristol BS1 1DB Affirmation Hair Studio Todmorden & Manchester, England "Affirmation is a small queer/trans-owned hair studio based in the heart of Todmorden. We pride ourselves on inclusion providing a safe space for everyone who comes to us for a cut. We're neither barbers nor hair studio. For us, hair is hair and we provide an experience in the sweet spot in between the two, something that is reflected in our pricing. We believe we provide much more than just a cut. We're human first, not run based on a person's gender and we're here to provide an experience and environment where everyone feel comfortable." www.affirmationstudios.co.uk Location: 5 Stansfield Road Todmorden OL14 5DN Good Vibe Tribe Newcastle, England "At our core, we believe that hair knows no gender. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and celebrated for who they are. Our is designed for self-expression, allowing individuals to connect with like-minded souls who share their passion for creativity and authenticity. Together, we aim to shape more than just hair; we are igniting a movement that champions community, creativity, and self-love, inviting everyone to join us on this transformative journey. This isn’t just a barbershop - it’s a movement. We’re all about inclusivity, individuality, and community. Welcome to the *Good Vibe Tribe*!" www.gvtgenderneutralbarbers.com Location: 7 Princess Square Newcastle-Upon Tyne NE1 8ER Bad Boy Barber Edinburgh, Scotland Bad Boy Barber prides itself in non-discriminatory barbery for everyone - all ages and all walks of life. They don't do appointments so just rock up when you like, and the best thing of all? All cuts are £15. "At Bad Boy Barbers, we would like everyone to feel welcome. To feel safe and respected. We believe that everyone should be treated equally, whoever they are, whatever they do and wherever they come from. We believe in giving everyone what they want without any unnecessary fuss or expense." www.badboybarber.co.uk Location: 43 Candlemaker Row Edinburgh EH1 2QB Just A Hairdresser Digbeth, England "Hi, I'm Ellis, and I'm Just a hairdresser based in Digbeth, Birmingham, UK. I have 10 years experience working along side industry giants & with the best brands. My studio is more than a place to get your hair done it’s a no-judgment environment where everyone is encouraged to be their own authentic selves. I get to do what I love most and create stylish, personalised looks for a diverse and inspiring community. So if you're in the neighbourhood, come on by. I'd love to help you look and feel your best." www.justahairdresser.co.uk Location: The Custard Factory Gibb Street Birmingham B9 4AA Our House Warminster, England "We massively pride ourselves on being a gender equality salon. This means however you want to identify, we only charge depending on hair length, not gender!!!! Cool right? The name ‘Our House’ means so much, it’s a place everyone can enjoy with no judgement or hate. We welcome everyone who is anyone at our house. Just leave any egos at the door & celebrate being you." www.ourhousehair.co.uk Location: 32 High Street Warminster BA12 9AF Greyhound Barbers London, England Greyhound Barbers is a relaxed & contemporary barbers in North London that prices their haircuts on hair length rather than gender. They offer a variety of services including buzzcuts, scissor cuts, beard trims and student discount. Plus, all their products are cruelty-free. They're a queer friendly and trans-inclusive space, open Monday to Saturday. www.greyhoundbarbers.com Location: 147 Junction Road Archway London N19 5PX Want to add your hairdressers to our list? Follow us on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk ✌

This week we're taking a look at queer books that focus on drugs, sex and addiction. From explicit East London chemsex parties to a deep-dive into the history of poppers, slutty memoirs and Japanese BDSM, here are 15 LGBTQ+ books with a focus on chemsex, drugs, addiction and screwing: Note: All of these books are explicit and tackle difficult themes - please check trigger warnings before reading these books. 100 Boyfriends Brontez Purnell Filth, punks & sex stories Queer Rep: Queer Men Transgressive, foulmouthed, and wildly funny, Brontez Purnell's 100 Boyfriends is a filthy, unforgettable, and brutally profound ode to queer love in its most messy of variations. From one-night stands to recurring lovers, Purnell's characters sleep with their co-worker's husbands, expose themselves to racist neighbours, date Satanists, and drink their way out of trouble, all the while fighting - and often losing - the urge to self-sabotage. A horny, punk love song full of imperfect intimacies, 100 Boyfriends takes readers on a riotous journey through dirty warehouses and gentrified bars, from dysfunctional houseshares to desolate farming towns in Alabama. Drawing us into a community of glorious misfits living on the margins of a white supremacist, heteronormative society, iconoclastic storyteller Brontez Purnell gives us an uncompromising vision of desire, desperation, race, loneliness, and queerness that will devastate as much as it entertains. Horny & High Vol. 1 Ed Firth Chemsex in East London Queer Rep: Queer Men Do you enjoy graphic nudity and the firm seductive grip of self-annihilation? Horny & High is a dark, raw and moving collection of stories from breakout artist Ed Firth, including The Nightbus (printed in WIP's Success 2020 anthology), and Chillout, shortlisted by Myriad Editions' First Graphic Novel Prize 2020. The Chillout story continues, in the second volume of Horny & High, the adults-only graphic novel series prising the lid off the London chemsex scene in the 2010s. Stu hooks up with a group of horny guys just trying to get high on a long wet weekend. But he soon finds he's getting in over his head again... Prepare yourself for chemsex, cruising and heartbreak in these adults-only hand-inked stories. Acts Of Service Lillian Fishman Toxic relationships & messy affairs Queer Rep: Queer Women If sex is a truth-teller, Eve - a young, queer woman in Brooklyn - is looking for answers. One evening she posts some nude photos of herself online. This is how Eve meets Olivia, and through Olivia, Nathan - and soon the three begin a relationship that disturbs Eve as much as it delights her. As each act of the affair unfolds, Eve is left to ask: to whom is she responsible? And to what extent do our desires determine who we are? In the way that only great fiction can, Acts of Service takes between its teeth the contradictions written all over our ideas of sex and sexuality. As incisive as it is exhilarating, this novel asks us to face our ideas about desire and power: what sex means to us, the forces that shape it, and how we find - or lose - ourselves in intimacy. At once juicy and intellectually challenging, sacred and profane, it might be the most thought-provoking book you read all year. Deep Sniff Adam Zmith A history of poppers & their uses Queer Rep: Queer culture 3, 2, 1... inhale, deep. From the Victorian infirmary and the sex clubs of the 1970s, poppers vapour has released the queer potential inside us all. This is the intriguing story of how poppers wafted out of the lab and into gay bars, corner shops, bedrooms and porn supercuts. Blending historical research with wry observation, Adam Zmith explores the cultural forces and improbable connections behind the power of poppers. What emerges is not just a history of pub raids, viral panics and pecs the size of dinner plates. It is a collection of fresh and provocative ideas about identity, sex, utopia, capitalism, law, freedom and the bodies that we use to experience the world. In Deep Sniff , what starts as a thoughtful enquiry into poppers becomes a manifesto for pleasure. Boyslut Zachary Zane Sex, manifesto & polyamory Queer Rep: Bisexual Men A sex and relationship columnist bares it all in a series of essays - part memoir, part manifesto - that explore the author’s coming-of-age and coming out as a bisexual man and move toward embracing and celebrating sex unencumbered by shame As a boy, Zachary Zane sensed that all was not right when images of his therapist naked popped into his head. Without an explanation as to why, a deep sense of shame pervaded these thoughts. Though his therapist assured him a little imagination was nothing to be ashamed of, over the years, society told him otherwise. Boyslut is a series of personal and tantalizing essays that articulate how our society still shames people for the sex that they have and the sexualities that they inhabit. In At The Deep End Kate Davies Toxic relationships & BDSM Queer Rep: Queer Women A fresh, funny, audacious debut novel about a Bridget Jones-like twenty-something who discovers that she may have simply been looking for love — and, ahem, pleasure — in all the wrong places (aka: from men) Julia hasn’t had sex in three years. Her roommate has a boyfriend—and their sex noises are audible through the walls, maybe even throughout the neighborhood. Not to mention, she’s treading water in a dead-end job, her know-it-all therapist gives her advice she doesn’t ask for, and the men she is surrounded by are, to be polite, subpar. Enough is enough. So when Julia gets invited to a warehouse party in a part of town where “trendy people who have lots of sex might go on a Friday night”—she readily accepts. Whom she meets there, however, is surprising: a conceptual artist, also a woman. Nether Realms Tab Kimpton Crazy-horny erotic sci-fi Queer Rep: Trans & Non-Binary From the PRISM and Lambda Award nominated publisher of Nectar & Ambrosia , comes Nether Realms: a Sci-Fi Non-Binary Erotic Comics Anthology. The theme: star-hot sex that explodes beyond our Earthling understanding of body, gender, and self-identity. 15 strange, sexy tales from far across the universe, where each comic has at least one character who goes beyond the gender binary or explores gender in an interesting way. Freed from the tethers of the nethers, or delving into them deeper than ever before, let’s hyper jump into Future Fucking, hand in [robotic] hand. Our mission? To boldly bang where no thems have boinged before. Sluts Michelle Tea Fiction, non-fiction & lots of sex Queer Rep: Queer Cast Boyfriends masquerade as straight bros to have fun on an early internet porn site. Sex on Viagra; sex on acid. A lesbian bar sells out, turning barflies into doms for hire. In Spain, an exchange student lets two young men flip a coin to see who will have her. A stranger on a train. A collegiate lesbian ‘it’ couple. A trans woman bashes back. Post-apocalyptic punk crushes. Slut eras. Whether an insult or badge of honor, an identity or a state of mind, SLUTS engages some of the hottest minds of the moment to riff on the subject, exploring the nature of desire and its cultural consequences, creating a collection bound to become a classic of sex writing. Just By Looking At Him Ryan O'Connell Sex, addiction & dark humor Queer Rep: Queer Men A darkly witty and touching novel following a gay TV writer with cerebral palsy as he fights addiction and searches for acceptance in an overwhelmingly ableist world. Elliott appears to be living the dream as a successful TV writer with a doting boyfriend. But behind his Instagram filter of a life, he’s grappling with an intensifying alcohol addiction, he can’t seem to stop cheating on his boyfriend with various sex workers, and his cerebral palsy is making him feel like gay Shrek. But after falling down a rabbit hole of sex, drinking, and Hollywood backstabbing, Elliott decides to limp his way towards redemption. But facing your demons is easier said than done. Candid, biting, and refreshingly real, Just by Looking at Him is an incisive commentary on gay life, a heart-centered, laugh-out-loud exploration of self, and a rare insight into life as a person with disabilities. Diary of a Drag Queen Crystal Rasmussen Filthy, funny, frantic memoir Queer Rep: Non-Binary Life's a drag... Why not be a queen? Stories like the one where you shagged a 79-year-old builder and knocked over his sister's ashes while feeding him a Viagra. Or the time you crashed your car because you were giving a hand job in barely moving traffic and took your eye off the car in front. That's the kind of dinner-party ice-breaker I'm talking about. Northern, working-class and shagging men three times her age, Crystal writes candidly about her search for 'the one'; sleeping with a VIP in an attempt to become a world famous journalist; getting hired and fired by a well-known fashion magazine; being torn between losing weight and gorging on KFC; and her need for constant sexual satisfaction (and where that takes her). Charting her day-to-day adventures over the course of a year, we encounter tucks, twists and sucks, heinous overspending and endless nights spent sprinting from problem to problem in a full face of make-up. This is a place where the previously unspeakable becomes the commendable - a unique portrayal of the queer experience. Solemates Adam Zmith A history of foot fetishes Queer Rep: Queer Culture Why are feet so hot? When Jesus washed his bros' feet, what kind of love was he showing? Why did feet show up in poetry written during a medieval outbreak of gonorrhoea? How did early sexologists convince us that loving feet is deviant? And what did Victorian lesbians make of all this? These are the questions thrusting Adam Zmith into a history of toe-botherers who will guide the reader through the sex archives, the online forums and a millennium of art, with his trademark queer lens. Solemates will bring to light the history of this peculiarly popular kink. From Tarantino films to Bible stories, from Renaissance paintings to OnlyFans, Solemates is the rich and messy tale of our obsession with everything below the ankle, and what it reveals about how we view our bodies and our sex lives. Romeo & Seahorse Nikolaj Tange Lange Sex, drugs & STDs in Berlin Queer Rep: Queer Men Romeo has Hepatitis again. It’s no surprise, and when you haven’t slept for days staying awake is easy. And anyway, there’s the promise of more drugs, more sex. Leaving his boyfriend at home he heads out for hookups, getting abjectly high and pushing his body to grotesque extremes in an urgent but dissociated quest for romance. What follows is a delirious trip through squalid rooms, hospital wards, and nighttime parks, broken by memories of first loves, European travels, and meditations on what it means to be a Romeo. With chaotic chemsex escapades and musings on romantic love, art and belonging, Romeo & Seahorse takes us to places not often explored in fiction. Written in a relentless, frenzied first-person narrative with moments of mind-bending wisdom and poignancy, this is a one-of-a-kind novel about addiction, desire, belonging, and want that’s destined to become a queer classic. The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame Gengoroh Tagame Big bara men & BDSM Queer Rep: Queer Men The often violent, visceral, and always provocative style of Japanese manga legend Gengoroh Tagame, one of the originators of Japanese bear culture, comes to life like never before in  The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame , a new edition of the artist's first English-language collection. Known as "The Tom of Finland of Japan," Tagame is celebrated around the world for his groundbreaking work, noted for its masterfully crafted imagery and unbridled exploration of bondage, lust, passion, and romance. This first English paperback edition includes ten short stories dating from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, with an introduction by celebrated novelist and biographer Edmund White, as well as an essay and new jacket design by acclaimed novelist and graphic designer Chip Kidd. Experienced Kate Young Hot women & casual sex Queer Rep: Queer Women A sexy sapphic romantic comedy about newly-out Bette, who is in love for the first time in her life. Finally, everything makes sense. Until it doesn’t. Bette’s 30th year brought with it an unexpected the reason her dating life had been lackluster was simple. She’s attracted to women. And then she fell for Mei, who’s entirely perfect. Until, out of the blue, Mei suggests they take a break. She wants Bette to do all the exploring she missed out on in her twenties - to plunge into the queer dating scene and return clearer about their future, her desires, and herself. So, reluctantly, Bette sets out on a date hot women and have hot casual sex, before returning to her loving girlfriend. Put that way, maybe it doesn’t sound so bad…Bette’s dating odyssey takes her to unexpected places, some cringingly disastrous, some heady and thrilling. And with her new friend, the gorgeous and self-assured Ruth, as a queer dating guide, Bette can’t possibly fail. Right? The Unsinkable Ship of Fools Jonas Goonface Super horny erotic fantasy Queer Rep: Non-binary, Genderqueer, Polyamory Cum one, cum all! Jump aboard the Ship of Fools for your final ride. An ensorcelled train hurtles through the night, with no stops and no hope for its passengers; everyone is welcome, and no one can leave. Freaks, kooks, misfits, no one is too strange! No bosses! No brakes! Only thrills, mutual support, and carnal bliss. These vagabonds only have each other now, and in a collection of magical erotic encounters, we get to meet them all - a ragtag group of castoffs who must find the answer: Who's driving this thing, and who's ultimately in charge of your fate? The destination of this raucous anarchic locomotive is anyone's guess, but one thing is certain: The journey will be like nothing you've ever seen before! Do you have a book recommendation you'd add to this list? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk ✌

To celebrate the release of season two of I KISSED A BOY , we thought we'd take a look at some of the best queer TV shows available of BBC iPlayer right now. From hilarious gay sitcoms to queer reality tv and sapphic thrillers, here are 12 queer and LGBTQ+ inclusive TV shows available to watch in the UK on the BBC iPlayer right now. (All shows available in the UK at time of publishing.) 1. SMOGGIE QUEENS (2024 - present) Set in the heart of Middlesbrough, SMOGGIE QUEENS is a heartwarming and often surreal northern sit-com following a group of LGBTQ+ friends in their day-to-day lives. It's exaggerated and ridiculous at times, but also a genuinely charming portrayal of life in the north-east of England. If you like your comedy with smatterings of queer joy and found family it's well worth a watch. The show has also been commissioned for a second season. LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men, Queer Women Genre : Sit-Com, Camp Comedy Episode Run Time : 30m 2. I KISSED A BOY/I KISSED A GIRL (2023 - present) I KISSED A BOY  is a British dating game show where ten single gay men are paired up at an Italian villa and spend several weeks getting to know each other after meeting for the first time with a kiss. It's full of drama, romance and Dannii Minogue - along with some really lovely conversations about queerness and dating. Season two is airing right now. BBC3 also released the spinoff series I KISSED A GIRL  in May 2004 - think the same show, but with lesbian couples LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men/Queer Women Genre : Reality TV, Drama, Romance Episode Run Time : 45m 3. WRECK (2022-2024) Queers, cruiseships and campy horror. If you like your horror very queer and a little silly you're bound to love WRECK . It's a horror-comedy-drama following Jamie, who starts working on the cruise ship where his sister, Pippa, disappeared after being chased by a knife-wielding psycho in a duck costume. He’s investigating what happened to her, but the more questions he asks, the more horrifying the answers. It's silly and camp and a little bit very bloody. LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men, Queer Women, Trans Women Genre : Horror, Comedy, Drama, Mystery Episode Run Time : 45m 4. VIGIL (2021 - present) VIGIL is a gritty British police drama set on a Royal Navy ballistic missile submarine. After a Scottish fishing trawler disappears and a member of the submarine's crew turns up dead, DCI Amy Silva, is sent out to the submarine to find out what happened. Who doesn't love a queer detective drama? LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Women Genre : Police Drama, Thriller, Mystery Episode Run Time : 60m 5. SUCH BRAVE GIRLS (2023) SUCH BRAVE GIRLS  is another darkly funny British sitcom - this time about trauma, identity, narcissism and a self-sabotaging dysfunctional family. The show follows Josie (a depressed lesbian who doesn't know who she is), her sister Billie (who she has a love/hate relationship with), and their mother Deb (a compulsive liar) as they make terrible life decisions and fight their way through ridiculous situations. LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Women Genre : Dark Comedy, Drama Episode Run Time : 25m 6. DRAG RACE UK (2019 - present) I feel like at this stage everyone's familiar with Drag Race, but if you haven't watched DRAG RACE UK, I feel like you're missing out. At the time of writing this, the UK version boasts six seasons with a seventh on its way later this year. You can expect plenty of laughs, lots of drama and a little bit of queer education sprinkled in throughout. If you haven't watched DRAG RACE UK yet, now is a perfect time to catch up (season 2 is a personal fave). LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men, Non-Binary, Queer Women Genre : Reality TV, Competition, Drama Episode Run Time : 50m 7. MR LOVER MAN (2024) Based on the novel of the same name by Bernardine Evaristo, MR LOVER MAN is a beautifully moving and at times comedic drama about a closeted family man. Barry is charming and swarve and hiding a secret - he's been having an affair with his best friend, Morris, for the past 60 years. If you like emotional drama and stories about living as your true self, this one's for you. LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men Genre : Drama, Romance Episode Run Time : 30m 8. GENTLEMAN JACK (2019 - 2022) GENTLEMAN JACK follows the life of Anne Lister (a real-life person) as she shakes up her shabby ancestral home, determined to restore its fortunes and find herself a wife. If you love a good historical drama, queer histrorical figures celebrating their queer identity and 1830s lesbains this one's for you. LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Women Genre : Historical Drama, Romance Episode Run Time : 60m 9. JUICE (2023) If you love weird, surreal British comedy, then JUICE might be just what you're looking for. It follows Jamma, a gay dude with commitment issues and his relationships at work, with his boyfriend and with his family. It's a little bit FLEABAG and a little bit SPACED , perfect for anyone who enjoys cartoonish comedy, chaotic family dynamics or shows where things go from bad to worse. LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men Genre : Surreal Comedy, Comedy of Errors, Farcical Episode Run Time : 30m 10. THE JETTY (2023) Small towns, crime, and missing people. THE JETTY is a gritty crime thriller centering a missing person case and a sapphic love affair between two of the main characters. It stars Jenna Coleman as the detective in charge as she tries to connect a fire to a podcaster and an illicit love affair between a man in his 20s and two underage girls. LGBTQ+ rep: Queer Women, Genre: Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Drama Episode Run Time: 60m 11. LOST BOYS AND FAIRIES (2024) If you're into stories about queer parenthood, adoption and growing up differrent, then check out LOST BOYS AND FAIRIES  - it's a three-part miniseries following a gay couple on a quest to adopt a child in Cardiff, Wales. It's rather camp in places, emotionally turbulent in others, and a bloody lovely story that's definitely worth a watch. LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men, Non-Binary Genre : Drama, Mini-Series, Emotional Episode Run Time : 60m 12. IN MY SKIN (2018-2021) If you're a fan of dark comedies, coming-of-age stories and troubled teens, then IN MY SKIN might be right up your street. The show follows Bethan, a teenager trying to live a double life as she negotiates her mother's mental illness, friendships and her sexuality. It's funny and emotional and it won a BAFTA for best drama series in 2022. Quick heads up for triggers of homophobia, difficult family dynamics and mental illness. LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Women Genre : Dark Comedy, Drama, Coming-Of-Age Episode Run Time : 30m Have we missed your favourite new queer TV show on iPlayer? Is there something coming out soon you think we should add to this list? Send us a message @ProudGeek Bookshop  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

This week, we're giving you some queer book recommendations based on your favorite TV show or series. From Black Mirror to Bridgerton, Severance to Squid Game, here's a quick list of LGBTQ+ books to read next based on your favourite TV show: Note: Some of these books tackle difficult themes - please check trigger warnings before reading. If you love Black Mirror, read Traumaland by Josh Silver. Genre: Dark Thriller Seventeen-year-old Eli has been in a near-fatal car crash. As the anniversary looms, his therapist and family struggle to help him deal with the fall out. The accident has left him emotionally numb, with no memory of the months following the crash. Desperate to feel something again, Eli winds up at an underground club called Traumaland. But this is no ordinary nightclub. Here he joins crowds of other emotionally numb people, all seeking to experience a new thrill by entering virtual reality simulations of nightmarish scenarios through the points of view of various characters. If you love Our Flag Means Death, read Running Close To The Wind by Alexandra Rowland. Genre: Adult Pirate Fantasy Avra Helvaçi, former field agent of the Arasti Ministry of Intelligence, is a silly little slut and has accidentally stolen the single most expensive secret in the world - and the only place to flee with a secret that big is the open sea. To find a buyer with deep enough pockets, Avra must ask for help from his on-again, off-again ex, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Haffar. They are far from happy to see him, but together, they hatch a plan: take the information to the isolated pirate republic of the Isles of Lost Souls, fence it, profit. The only things in their way? A calculating new Arasti ambassador to the Isles of Lost Souls who's got his eyes on Avra's every move; Brother Julian, a beautiful, mysterious new member of the crew with secrets of his own and a frankly inconvenient vow of celibacy; the fact that they're sailing straight into sea serpent breeding season and almost certain doom. If you love The Walking Dead, read Wranglestone by Darren Charlton. Genre: YA Horror/Romance In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there's nothing to stop them from crossing the ice. Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he's forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he's always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over. But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary's secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they've ever known. If you love Buffy the Vampire Slayer, read Here To Slay by Radhika Sanghani. Genre: YA Fantasy Kali has a lot to deal with. Her crush doesn't notice her, her parents love her cousin more, and a big family wedding is overshadowing her 16th birthday. So, she really did NOT need a demon appearing in her bedroom and for the fate of the world to rest in her hands. It turns out that all girls named after the Indian demon-fighting goddess Kali are imbued with special powers, and are destined to fight demons. At least she's not alone in this mess - she's got the very cool, very confident K to teach her how to be a demon slayer. Now, if only she could also figure out how to slay at life... If you love Attack on Titan, read Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose. Genre: Epic Fantasy Seventeen-year-old Paprick is a common butcher, carving slabs of meat from gargantuan monsters so elite chefs can prepare magic-granting meals for the rich. But Paprick’s true passion is cooking, and if he can learn the secret art, his dreams of liberating his people and sharing the monsters’ magic with the world could come true. He steals the precious ingredients needed to practise recipes at home, but if he’s caught, he’ll be executed. As his desperation grows, he ventures into the black market and uncovers a spice imported from unknown lands. Combining it with the last of his stolen meat, he cooks a dish the world has never tasted before, with side-effects he couldn’t have foreseen. If you love The Great British Bake Off, read The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar. Genre: YA Sapphic Romance Shireen Malik is still reeling from the breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Chris, when she receives news that she’s been accepted as a contestant on a new televised baking competition show. This is Shireen’s dream come true! Because winning will not only mean prize money, but it will also bring some much-needed attention to You Drive Me Glazy, her parents’ beloved donut shop. Things get complicated, though, because Chris is also a contestant on the show. Then there’s the very outgoing Niamh, a fellow contestant who is becoming fast friends with Shireen. Things are heating up between them, and not just in the kitchen. If you love Avenue 5, read Floating Hotel  by Grace Curtis. Genre: Cosy Sci-Fi Welcome to the Grand Abeona, home of the finest food, the sweetest service, and the very best views the galaxy has to offer. All year round it moves from planet to planet, system to system, pampering guests across the furthest reaches of the Milky W ay. The last word in sub-orbital luxury - and an absolute magnet for intrigue. Intrigues such as: Why are there love poems in the lobby inbox? How many Imperial spies are currently on board? What is the true purpose of the Problem Solver’s conference? And perhaps most pertinently - who is driving the ship? Each guest has a secret, and every member of staff a universe unto themselves. At the center of these interweaving lives and interlocking mysteries stands Carl, one-time stowaway, longtime manager, devoted caretaker to the hotel. It’s the love of his life and the only place he’s ever called home. But as forces beyond Carl’s comprehension converge on the Abeona, he has to face one final when is it time to let go? If you love Yuri On Ice, read Blades of Furry by Emily Erdos & Deya Muniz Genre: Sports Romance Graphic Novel Emile is an up-and-coming rookie in battle skating, a sport that combines the grace of figure skating with the high impact sparring of martial arts. Just as he is gearing up to fight in his next duel at the championships, there’s a change in the lineup! To his horror, he’ll have to face off against reigning champion Radu, the best battle skater in the world (and Emile’s longtime skating idol). There’s no way he can win! During a pivotal moment in their match, however, Emile discovers Radu’s most closely guarded secret…and it’s a bloody one. This could destroy Radu’s career for good, but when feelings start to develop between them both on and off the rink, will this rivalry turn into something more...? If you love Wednesday, read Love at Second Sight by F.T. Lukens. Genre: YA Paranormal Mystery Romance Fifteen-year-old Cam Reynolds wants to spend his sophomore year flying under the radar. That shouldn’t be too hard, considering he’s a human going to school with kids who have paranormal powers, like his best friend and witch, Al, and his longtime werewolf crush, Mateo. Then Cam has a psychic glimpse of the future in front of most of the student body, seeing a gruesomely murdered teen girl from the point of view of the killer. When Cam comes to, he knows two someone he goes to school with is a future murderer, and his life is about to change. No longer a mere human but a clairvoyant, one of the rarest of supernatural beings, Cam finds himself at the center of attention for the first time. If you love Bridgerton, read A Lady For A Duke by Alexis Hall. Genre: Trans Historical Romance When Viola Caroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become. If you love Dead Boy Detectives, read The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth. Genre: Supernatural Murder Mystery A magical serial killer is stalking the Occult town of Wrackton. Hypnotic whistling causes victims to chew their own tongues off, leading to the killer being dubbed the Whistler (original, right?). But outside the lack of taste buds and the strange magical carvings on the victims’ torsos, the murderer leaves no evidence. No obvious clues. No reason – or so it seems. Enter the Undetectables, a detective agency run by three witches and a ghost in a cat costume (don’t ask). They are hired to investigate the murders, but with their only case so far left unsolved, will they be up to the task? Mallory, the forensic science expert, is struggling with pain and fatigue from her recently diagnosed fibromyalgia. Cornelia, the team member most likely to go rogue and punch a police officer, is suddenly stirring all sorts of feelings in Mallory. Diana, the social butterfly of the group, is hitting up all of her ex-girlfriends for information. And not forgetting ghostly Theodore – deceased, dramatic, and also the agency’s first dead body and unsolved murder case. If you love Castlevania, read Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chipuro. Genre: Gothic Supernatural Fantasy Remy Pendergast is many things: the only son of the Duke of Valenbonne (though his father might wish otherwise), an elite bounty hunter of rogue vampires, and an outcast among his fellow Reapers. His mother was the subject of gossip even before she eloped with a vampire, giving rise to the rumors that Remy is half-vampire himself. Though the kingdom of Aluria barely tolerates him, Remy’s father has been shaping him into a weapon to fight for the kingdom at any cost. When a terrifying new breed of vampire is sighted outside of the city, Remy prepares to investigate alone. But then he encounters the shockingly warmhearted vampire heiress Xiaodan Song and her infuriatingly arrogant fiancé, vampire lord Zidan Malekh, who may hold the key to defeating the creatures—though he knows associating with them won’t do his reputation any favors. When he’s offered a spot alongside them to find the truth about the mutating virus Rot that’s plaguing the kingdom, Remy faces a choice. It’s one he’s certain he’ll regret. If you love Gravity Falls, read Lumberjanes by ND Stevenson, Grace Ellis & Brooke Allen . Genre: YA Supernatural Fantasy Graphic Novel Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... and they're not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! LUMBERJANES is one of those punk rock, love-everything-about-it stories that appeals to fans of basically all excellent things. It's Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Gravity Falls and features five butt-kicking, rad teenage girls wailing on monsters and solving a mystery with the whole world at stake. And with the talent of acclaimed cartoonist ND Stevenson, talented newcomer Grace Ellis writing, and Brooke Allen on art, this is going to be a spectacular series that you won't want to miss. If you love Stranger Things, read Specs by David M Booher & Chris Shehan. Genre: Supernatural 80s Horror Specs is a real supernatural 80s throwback! Small town. Ohio, 1986. All Kenny and Ted want is to not feel like outcasts. What happens when a pair of X-ray glasses mysteriously appear? The magic specs open a world of possibilities for these misfit teens through the granting of literal wishes! Things start out innocent, but when they wish that their bully would disappear, things take a cursed turn, with far darker consequences than they thought possible... In this mysterious and nostalgic tale from writer David M. Booher (Canto, All-New Firefly) and artist Chris Shehan (House of Slaughter), Kenny and Ted realize they've received much more than they bargained for... If you love Squid Game, read Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng. Genre: YA Sapphic Thriller/Horror After a shocking scandal that abruptly ended her teen popstar career, eighteen-year-old Sunny Lee spends her days longing for her former life and cyberstalking her ex-BFF and groupmate, Candie. The two were once inseparable, but that was then. In the here and now, Sunny is surprised to discover that Candie is attending a new K-pop workshop in her hometown. Candie might be there chasing stardom, but Sunny can’t resist the chance to join her and finally confront their traumatic history. Because she still can’t figure out what happened that horrible night when Mina, the third in their tight-knit trio, jumped to her death. Or if the dark and otherworldly secrets she and Candie were keeping had something to do with it... But the workshop doesn’t bring the answers Sunny had hoped for, nor a happy reunion with Candie. Instead, Sunny finds herself haunted by ghostly visions while strange injuries start happening to her competitors, followed by even stranger mutilations to their bodies. If you love Severance, read Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke. Genre: Weird Contemporary Sci-Fi/Horror Told entirely through clever and captivating Slack messages, Several People Are Typing is a relatable satire of both virtual work and contemporary life. Gerald, a mid-level employee of a New York–based public relations firm has been uploaded into the company’s internal Slack channels - at least his consciousness has. His colleagues assume it’s an elaborate gag to exploit the new work-from home policy, but now that Gerald’s productivity is through the roof, his bosses are only too happy to let him work from... wherever he says he is. Faced with the looming abyss of a disembodied life online, Gerald enlists his co-worker Pradeep to help him escape, and to find out what happened to his body. But the longer Gerald stays in the void, the more alluring and absurd his reality becomes. If you love Firefly, read Frontier by Grace Curtis. Genre: Sci-Fi Western Frontier is a heartfelt queer romance in a high noon standoff with Earth's uncertain future, full of love, loss, and laser guns. In the distant future, climate change has reduced Earth to a hard-scrabble wasteland. Saints and sinners, lawmakers and sheriffs, gunslingers and horse thieves abound. Folk are as diverse and divided as they've ever been - except in their shared suspicions when a stranger comes to town. One night a ship falls from the sky, bringing the planet's first visitor in three hundred years. She's armed, she's scared... and she's looking for someone. Do you have a book recommendation you'd add to this list? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGee Bookshop  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk   ✌

Ever yone loves a night out, but sometimes it’s nice to hang out somewhere that isn't a club at 1am. Whether you’re catching up with friends over a coffee or looking for a queer-friendly space to work; here's our list of the UK and Ireland's LGBTQ+ coffee shops and cafés you should visit if you ever get the chance: Sugar Daddy's Worcester, England Sugar Daddy's is Worcester’s LGBTQ+ café. Opened in 2022 by business partners Andre and Sam, the café is a hub for Worcester's LGBTQ+ community offering events, social meets and support groups as well as delicious coffee and sweet treats. The Cafe is wheelchair accessible. Open: Wed-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm Location: Unit 4, Market Hall The Shambles Worcester WR1 2RD Flamingos Coffee House Leeds, England Situated in Central Arcade in Leeds City Centre, Flamingos is Leeds' premier queer-friendly Coffee House, providing a friendly, safe space for all, 7 days a week. They're one of the UK's only queer sober spaces and put on events throughout the week. Open: Mon-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm Location: 10 Central Arcade Leeds LS1 6DX Rainbow Tea Rooms Chester, England The Rainbow Tea Rooms is a café and community space that offers a safe space for everyone, regardless of gender, race and sexual orientation, focuses on the LGBTQ+ community, offering them an extra safe space to eat, drink and meet up. It was created by Chester Pride and generates income for the charity throughout the year. Open: Mon-Fri 9:30am-5pm,, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm Location: 28 Bridge Street Chester CH1 1NQ, UK YAS BEAN Macclesfield, England YAS BEAN in Macclesfield is run by husbands Mika and Dan who pride themselves on serving excellent coffee which is roasted locally by Kickback Coffee. They offer home made baked goods, grab’n’go breakfasts and lunches - including vegan and gluten free options. Dogs are welcome, but feel free to bring children too if you have to. Open: Mon-Wed 7:30am-3pm, Thurs-Fri 7:30am-4:30pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am-3:30pm Location: 219 Buxton Road Macclesfield SK10 1NB Flirt Café Bournemouth, England Whether you're just popping in for a quick coffee, or you spend the day working and making the most of the WiFi, Flirt are a super friendly family-run café that host regular events throughout the week in Bournemouth. Open: Sun-Tues 9am-6pm, Wed-Thurs 9am-10pm Location: 21 The Triangle Bournemouth BH2 5RG Over The Rainbow Café York, England Formally Lunar Café, Over The Rainbow Café is located upstairs above The Portal Bookshop, with a downstairs table available for anyone who struggles with steps. The queer cafe serves hot and cold drinks, including shakes, and savoury and sweet food options - including their legendary flag cakes modelled after different LGBTQ+ flags! Although the café is up a flight of stairs, Portal is equipped with a ramp for wheeled access and all efforts will be made to accommodate any other accessibility needs. Open: Every Day 11am-5.30pm Location: 5 Patrick Pool York YO1 8BB Outhouse Café Dublin, Ireland When you purchase a drink or treat from the Outhouse Café, you are helping to provide life-saving services to the queer community in Dublin. That's why we strive to serve you the best coffee, made by the best baristas, at the best coffee shop in town. LGBTQ+ artists often exhibit their work on the walls of the Café. Open: Mon 1pm-8.30pm, Tues-Fri 10am-8.30pm & Sat 12pm- 6pm Location: 105 Capel Street Rotunda Dublin 1 D01 R290 Social Refuge Manchester, England Queer Lit recently moved to their new location on Great Ancoats St and have expanded their LGBTQ+ bookshop to include Social Refuge - a bar, cafe and queer co-working space. It's a truly beautiful space with some excellent coffee. You can also book the venue for private events. Open: Mon-Wed 9am-6pm & Thurs-Sun 9am-11pm Location: 27 Great Ancoats St Ancoats Manchester M4 5AJ The Queer Emporium Cardiff, Wales The Queer Emporium a queer community space, events space and shop based in Cardiff - stocking over 20 local LGBT+ businesses. They offer refreshments that are locally sourced, plant-based and made by LGBTQ+ folks. Access to The Queer Emporium can be via our shop front entrance, which includes a step or via our side entrance, which is level with the ground. There is also a disabled toilet on site. Open: Fri-Tues 11am-6pm & Wed-Thurs 11am-9pm Location: 2 Royal Arcade Cardiff CF10 1AE The Queery Brighton, England The Queery is a volunteer-run co-operative based in Brighton. The space encompasses a queer radical bookshop, a vegan pay-as-you-feel café and a sober community space for the use of the local queer community. You can volunteer at the query Open: Wed-Sun 12pm-6pm Location: 46 George St Kemptown Brighton BN2 1RJ Happy Out Coffee Belfast, Ireland Happy Out Coffee recently found a physical space at The Foundry in City East. Run by queer couple Vic and Alex, the café offers premium quality coffee (responsibly sourced), offers a pay-it-forward scheme, and holds community at its core. Whether it's a cuppa and a brownie at a market, or gourmet coffees and biscotti at a wedding, they've got something for everyone. Open: Mon-Wed 7:30am-6:30pm, Thurs-Fri 7:30am-7:30pm, Sat 8:30am-7:30pm Location: 72 Newtownards R oad Belfast BT4 1GW BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! London, England ​A welcoming spot in the heart of Fitzrovia, London, bringing together a café, bar, bookstore and gallery all in one. With lush interiors, it’s the perfect place to grab a drink, sip a coffee, have a chat, browse queer and gay fine art photography, books, magazines and merch. Brought to you by the team behind the infamous BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! magazines and books. Open: Tues, Thurs & Fri 2-7pm, Wed + Sun: 2-6pm, Sat 2-8pm. Location: 30C Warren Street Fitzrovia London W1T 5NF An honourable mention to some of the UK's queer coffee shops and cafés that have closed in recent years: First Out Café Bar - London די ראָזעווע פּאַווע - Pink Peacock - Glasgow Café Bistro - Fleetwood Sol Café - Birmingham The Pod Café - Edinburgh Lunar Café - York Kween Kream - London Kafe Kweer - Edinburgh Have we missed your favourite queer coffee shop off our list? Ping us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk and we'll add it to our blog so more people can find it ✌

To celebrate the release of YOU WEREN'T MEANT TO BE HUMAN by Andrew Joseph White, I thought I'd take a look at some other queer horror books focusing on bugs, insects and creepy crawlies. From exotic insect collections to terrifying body horror and 500-year-old parasites, here's a quick list of LGBTQ+ books about bugs and insects that will make your skin crawl: You Weren't Meant To Be Human Andrew Joseph White Adult Horror/Sci-Fi Queer Rep: Trans Men Type of bugs: Worms Festering masses of worms and flies have taken root in dark corners across Appalachia. In exchange for unwavering loyalty and fresh corpses, these hives offer a few struggling humans salvation. A fresh start. It’s an offer that none refuse. Crane is grateful. Among his hive’s followers, Crane has found a chance to transition, to never speak again, to live a life that won’t destroy him. He even met Levi: a handsome ex-Marine and brutal killer who treats him like a real man, mostly. But when Levi gets Crane pregnant - and the hive demands the child’s birth, no matter the cost - Crane’s desperation to make it stop will drive the community that saved him into a devastating spiral that can only end in blood. She Is A Haunting Trang Thanh Tran YA Horror Queer Rep: Queer Women Type of bugs: Multiple Insects When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised. But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound, while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves her cryptic warnings: Don’t eat. The Honeys Ryan La Sala YA Horror/Mystery Queer Rep: Genderfluid, Queer Cast Type of bugs: Bees Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline's radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who'd grown tragically distant. Mars's genderfluidity means he's often excluded from the traditions -- and expectations -- of his politically-connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place. What Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigor. Mars seeks out his sister's old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying -- and Mars is certain they're connected to Caroline's death. Brainwyrms Alison Rumfitt Adult Horror/Thriller Queer Rep: Trans Women Type of bugs: Worms When a transphobic woman bombs Frankie’s workplace, she blows up Frankie’s life with it. As the media descends like vultures, Frankie tries to cope with the carnage: binge-drinking, fucking strangers, pushing away her friends. Then she meets Vanya. Mysterious, beautiful, terrifying Vanya. The two hit it off immediately, but as their relationship intensifies, so too does Frankie’s feeling that Vanya is hiding something from her. When Vanya’s secrets threaten to tear them apart, Frankie starts digging, and unearths a sinister, depraved conspiracy, the roots of which go deeper than she ever imagined. Shocking, grotesque, and downright filthy, Brainwyrms confronts the creeping reality of political terrorism while exploring the depths of love, pain and identity. Sawkill Girls Claire Legrand YA Fantasy/Horror Queer Rep: Queer Women, Asexual Type of bugs: Moths Who are the Sawkill Girls? Marion: the new girl. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Zoey: the pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Val: the queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives, a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies. Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires. Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now. Leech Hiron Ennes Gothic Horror/Sci-Fi Queer Rep: Genderfluid Type of bugs: Leeches In an isolated chateau, as far north as north goes, the baron’s doctor has died. The doctor’s replacement has a mystery to solve: discovering how the Institute lost track of one of its many bodies. For hundreds of years the Interprovincial Medical Institute has grown by taking root in young minds and shaping them into doctors, replacing every human practitioner of medicine. The Institute is here to help humanity, to cure and to cut, to cradle and protect the species from the apocalyptic horrors their ancestors unleashed. In the frozen north, the Institute's body will discover a competitor for its rung at the top of the evolutionary ladder. A parasite is spreading through the baron's castle, already a dark pit of secrets, lies, violence, and fear. The two will make war on the battlefield of the body. Whichever wins, humanity will lose again. Deliver Me Elle Nash Weird Adult Horror/Thriller Queer Rep: Bisexual Women Type of bugs: Exotic Insects At a meatpacking facility in the Missouri Ozarks, Dee-Dee and her co-workers kill and butcher 40,000 chickens in a single shift. The work is repetitive and brutal, with each stab and cut a punishment to her hands and joints, but Dee-Dee’s more concerned with what is happening inside her body. After a series of devastating miscarriages, Dee-Dee has found herself pregnant, and she is determined to carry this child to term. Dee-Dee fled the Pentecostal church years ago, but judgment follows her in the form of regular calls from her mother, whose raspy voice urges Dee-Dee to quit living in sin and marry her boyfriend Daddy, an underemployed ex-con with an insect fetish. With a child on the way, at long last Dee-Dee can bask in her mother’s and boyfriend’s newfound parturient attention. She will matter. She will be loved. She will be complete. When her charismatic friend Sloane reappears after a twenty-year absence, feeding her insecurities and awakening suppressed desires, Dee-Dee fears she will go back to living in the shadows. Plain Bad Heoines Emily M Danforth Adult Horror/Mystery Queer Rep: Queer Women, Polyamory Type of bugs: Yellowjacket Wasps 1902, The Brookhants School for Girls. Flo and Clara, two impressionable students, are obsessed with each other and with a daring young writer named Mary MacLane, the author of a scandalous bestselling memoir. To show their devotion to Mary, the girls establish their own private club and call it The Plain Bad Heroine Society. They meet in secret in a nearby apple orchard, the setting of their wildest happiness and, ultimately, of their macabre deaths. This is where their bodies are later discovered with a copy of Mary’s book splayed beside them, the victims of a swarm of stinging, angry yellow jackets. Less than five years later, The Brookhants School for Girls closes its doors forever - but not before three more people mysteriously die on the property, each in a most troubling way. Over a century later, the now abandoned and crumbling Brookhants is back in the news when wunderkind writer, Merritt Emmons, publishes a breakout book celebrating the queer, feminist history surrounding the “haunted and cursed” Gilded-Age institution. Her bestselling book inspires a controversial horror film adaptation, but as Brookhants opens its gates once again, past and present become grimly entangled. Paradise Rot Jenny Hval Erotic Adult Horror Queer Rep: Queer Women Type of bugs: Maggots Jo is in a strange new country for university, and having a more peculiar time than most. A house with no walls, a roommate with no boundaries, and a home that seems ever more alive. Jo’s sensitivity, and all her senses, become increasingly heightened and fraught, as the lines between bodies and plants, and dreaming and wakefulness, blur and mesh. This debut novel from critically acclaimed artist and musician Jenny Hval, presents a heady and hyper-sensual portrayal of sexual awakening and queer desire. A complex, poetic and strange novel about bodies, sexuality and the female gender. The Starving Saints Caitlin Starling Medieval Horror Queer Rep: Queer Women Type of bugs: Bees Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months. Food is running low and there has been no sign of rescue. But just as the survivors consider deliberately thinning their number, the castle stores are replenished. The sick are healed. And the divine figures of the Constant Lady and her Saints have arrived, offering succor in return for adoration. Soon, the entire castle is under the sway of their saviors, partaking in intoxicating feasts of terrible origin. The war hero Ser Voyne gives her allegiance to the Constant Lady. Phosyne, a disorganized, paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, races to unravel the mystery of these new visitors and exonerate her experiments as their source. And in the bowels of the castle, a serving girl, Treila, is torn between her thirst for a secret vengeance against Voyne and the desperate need to escape from the horrors that are unfolding within Aymar’s walls. What Feasts At Night T. Kingfisher Gothic Horror Queer Rep: QNon-Binary Type of bugs: Moths Retired soldier, Alex Easton, returns in a horrifying new adventure. After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war. All they crave is rest, routine, and sunshine, but instead, as a favor to Angus and Miss Potter, they find themself heading to their family hunting lodge, deep in the cold, damp forests of their home country, Gallacia. In theory, one can find relaxation in even the coldest and dampest of Gallacian autumns, but when Easton arrives, they find the caretaker dead, the lodge in disarray, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence. The villagers whisper that a breath-stealing monster from folklore has taken up residence in Easton’s home. Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams. Don't Let The Forest In CG Drews YA Fantasy Horror/Mystery Queer Rep: Queer Men, Asexual Type of bugs: Maggots High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality - Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more. But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork - whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories. Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster - Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. The Undetectables Courtney Smyth Fantasy/Murder Mystery Queer Rep: Queer Women, Queer Men, Queer Cast Type of bugs: Beetles A magical serial killer is stalking the Occult town of Wrackton. Hypnotic whistling causes victims to chew their own tongues off, leading to the killer being dubbed the Whistler. But outside the lack of taste buds and the strange magical carvings on the victims’ torsos, the murderer leaves no evidence. No obvious clues. No reason. Or so it seems. Enter the Undetectables, a detective agency run by three witches and a ghost in a cat costume (don’t ask). They are hired to investigate the murders, but with their only case so far left unsolved, will they be up to the task? Mallory, the forensic science expert, is struggling with pain and fatigue from her recently diagnosed fibromyalgia. Cornelia, the team member most likely to go rogue and punch a police officer, is suddenly stirring all sorts of feelings in Mallory. Diana, the social butterfly of the group, is hitting up all of her ex-girlfriends for information. And not forgetting ghostly Theodore – deceased, dramatic, and also the agency’s first dead body and unsolved murder case. Think we've missed something great? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekStore  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

This week, we're giving you some queer book recommendations based on your favorite film or movie. From Saltburn to Sleepy Hollow, Dark Crystal & The Descent, here's a quick list of LGBTQ+ books to read next bas ed on your favourite film: Note: Some of these books tackle difficult themes - please check trigger warnings before reading. If you love Saltburn, read Sunstruck  by William Rayfet Hunter. Genre: Literary Fiction It’s summer and a young man walks through the gates of a luxurious mansion in the south of France. At the dinner table, the Blakes are waiting for Annie, the family matriarch and world-famous singer, her inscrutable husband David and their children, Dot, aloof and rebellious, Lily, the man’s carefree university friend, and their enigmatic older brother Felix. Between sun-drenched days spent lounging by the pool and nights blurring into endless, opulent parties far from the reality of life in London, a restless attraction grows between Felix and the man. The possibility to be part of a family – and an entire world – in which he doesn’t belong is suddenly within reach. If you love The Dark Crystal, read The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning. Genre: Fantasy Adventure Jack Corman is failing at life. Jobless, jaded and facing the threat of eviction, he’s also reeling from the death of his father, one-time film director Bob Corman. Back in the eighties, Bob poured his heart and soul into the creation of his 1986 puppet fantasy The Shadow Glass, but the film flopped on release and Bob was never the same again. In the wake of Bob’s death, Jack returns to his decaying childhood home, where he is confronted with the impossible — the puppet heroes from The Shadow Glass are alive, and they need his help. Tipped into a desperate quest to save the world from the more nefarious of his father’s creations, Jack teams up with an excitable fanboy and a spiky studio exec to navigate the labyrinth of his father’s legacy and ignite a Shadow Glass resurgence that could, finally, do Bob proud. If you love Fear Street, read You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron. Genre: YA Horror/Slasher Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business. But the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night, they'll need figure out what this killer is after. Is there is more to the story of Mirror Lake and its dangerous past than Charity ever suspected? If you love The Descent, read The Luminous Dead by Cailin Starling. Genre: Psychological Horror When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she'd be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat paycheck meant she'd get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane. Instead, she got Em. Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre's body with drugs or withholding critical information to "ensure the smooth operation" of her expedition. Em knows all about Gyre's falsified credentials and has no qualms using them as a leash. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive-she must confront the ghosts in her own head. But how come she can't shake the feeling she's being followed? If you love The Hunger Games, read Fable For The End Of The World by Ava Reid. Genre: YA Dystopian Fantasy Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt - enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet. When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs, but she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive. If you love Little Shop Of Horrors, read Eat The Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin. Genre: Weird Adult Horror During a grocery run to her local shopping center, Shell Pine sees a ‘HELP NEEDED’ sign in a flower shop window. She’s just left her fiancé, lost her job, and moved home to her parents’ house. She has to make a change and bring some good into her life, so she goes inside and takes a chance. Shell realizes right away that flowers are just the good thing she's been looking for, as is Neve, the beautiful florist who wrote the sign asking for help. The thing is, Neve needs help more than Shell could possibly imagine. An orchid growing out of sight in the heart of the mall is watching them closely. His name is Baby, and the beautiful florist belongs to him. He’s young, he’s hungry, and he’ll do just about anything to make sure he can keep growing big and strong. Nothing he eats – nobody he eats – can satisfy him, except the thing he most desires. Neve. He adores her and wants to consume her, and will stop at nothing to eat the one he loves. If you love A Knight's Tale, read Lady's Knight by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner. Genre: YA Historical Fantasy Rom-Com Gwen has spent the past several years manning the blacksmith’s in place of her father, an open secret in the village in which she lives. A much more covert secret, however, is that she knows not only how to craft but also how to wield a sword, and an incognito stunt at the local jousting tournament manages to catch the eye of the wily Lady Isobelle. Isobelle has secret dreams too, but she’s been promised in marriage to the winner of the whole stupid tournament, which means an end to any freedom or choices for her. Desperate to avoid this fate, when she connects the newcomer knight to the female smithy she saw earlier that day, she begins to hatch a scheme… If you love Indiana Jones, read Lion's Legacy by L.C. Rosen Genre: YA Fantasy Adventure Seventeen-year-old Tennessee Russo’s life is imploding. His boyfriend has been cheating on him, and all his friends know about it. Worse, they expect him to just accept his ex’s new relationship and make nice. So when his father, a famous archaeologist and reality show celebrity whom he hasn’t seen in two years, shows up unexpectedly and offers to take him on an adventure, Tennessee only has a few choices: 1. Stay, mope, regret it forever. 2. Go, try to reconcile with Dad, become his sidekick again. 3. Go, but make it his adventure, and Dad will be the sidekick. The object of his father’s latest quest, the Rings of the Sacred Band of Thebes, is too enticing to say no to. Finding artifacts related to the troop of ancient Greek soldiers, composed of one-hundred-and-fifty gay couples, means navigating ruins, deciphering ancient mysteries, and maybe meeting a cute boy. If you love Percy Jackson, read The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas. Genre: YA Fantasy Adventure As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself as the most worthy to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all - they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years. Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Trials… or rather, he’s only worried for others. But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two: Xio, the 13-year-old child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and… Teo. Now they must compete in five mysterious trials, against opponents who are both more powerful and better trained, for fame, glory, and their own survival. If you love Sleepy Hollow, read Hollow by Shannon Watters & Branden Boyer-White. Genre: Supernatural Romance - Graphic Novel Isabel "Izzy" Crane and her family have just relocated to Sleepy Hollow, the town made famous by Washington Irving's legend of the Headless Horseman. But city slicker-skeptic Izzy has no time for superstition as she navigates life at a new address, a new school, and, with any luck, with new friends. Ghost stories aren't real, after all.... Then Izzy is pulled into the orbit of the town's teen royalty, Vicky Van Tassel and loveable varsity-level prankster Croc Byun. Vicky's weariness with her family connection to the legend turns to terror when the trio begins to be haunted by the Horseman himself, uncovering a curse set on destroying the Van Tassel line. Now, they have only until Halloween night to break it - meaning it's a totally inconvenient time for Izzy to develop a massive crush on the enigmatic Vicky. Do you have a book recommendation you'd add to this list? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop   or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk   ✌

Halloween is com ing up and what better thing to watch than something queer and spooky? From trans vampires to demon assassins and bloodthirsty queer horror - here are 10 queer films and TV shows to watch this spooky season. (All shows available in the UK at time of publishing.) 1. HELLUVA BOSS (2019-present) If you like dark comedy, adult animation and musicals, you're probably already aware of HELLUVA BOSS.  If not, then you're in for one hell of a ride. The show revolves around a group of imps working as hitmen for an assassination company in Hell known as I.M.P. There's violence, murder, comedy, hellhounds, musical numbers and a little bit of horny romance (so something for everyone), and if you haven't given it a watch yet, it's well worth a view this spooky season. It's also very gay. Where to watch it: AMAZON PRIME LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Cast Genre : Adult Animation, Dark Comedy, Musical Episode Run Time : 20m 2: IN THE FLESH (2013-2014) An oldie, but a goodie:  IN THE FLESH  follows Kieren - a formerly rabid zombie - as he slowly re-enters society several years after a zombie outbreak. It's science fiction meets horror, it's deeply emotional, genuinely scary in places and a fantastic depiction of societal expectation, belonging, and queer identity. This one's going to be a hit with anyone who loves stuff like BEING HUMAN and supernatural horror based in reality. Where to watch it: BBC IPLAYER LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men Genre : Supernatural, Horror, Drama Episode Run Time : 60m 3. DEAD END PARANORMAL PARK (2022) DEAD END: PARANORMAL PARK  is an animated fantasy horror comedy series created by Hamish Steele for Netflix - based on the graphic novel series, DEADENDIA . The show follows Barney and Norma, the newest employees at their local theme park, along with Pugsley, Barney's childhood dog, and Courtney, a thousand-year-old demon as they discover the secrets of the theme park they work in. Super fun, super spooky and super queer with some great musical numbers. Where to watch it: NETFLIX LGBTQ+ rep : Trans Men, Queer Men, Queer Women Genre : Animation, Paranormal, Fantasy, Adventure Episode Run Time : 30m 4. WRECK (2022-2024) Queers, cruiseships and campy horror. If you like your horror very queer and a little silly you're bound to love WRECK . It's a horror-comedy-drama following Jamie, who starts working on the cruise ship where his sister, Pippa, disappeared after being chased by a knife-wielding psycho in a duck costume. He’s investigating what happened to her, but the more questions he asks, the more horrifying the answers. It's silly and camp and a little bit very bloody. Where to watch it: BBC IPLAYER LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men, Queer Women, Trans Women Genre : Horror, Comedy, Drama, Mystery Episode Run Time : 45m 5. AGATHA ALL ALONG (2024) Everyone's been talking about AGATHA ALL ALONG , and for good reason! It's a fun and campy supernatural fantasy adventure following the events of WANDAVISION  (though if you haven't seen it, there's not much you won't get). After breaking the spell she was under (thanks to a helpful teen), a once-powerful witch regains her freedom and embarks on a journey down the Witches' Road with a hastily-formed coven. It's camp and fun and spooky and surprisingly gay. Where to watch it: DISNEY+ LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men, Queer Women, a lot of Queer Subtext Genre : Supernatural, Fantasy, Adventure Episode Run Time : 50m 6. BIT (2019) BIT  is a smart and witty, modern take on the vampire film genre. The film follows Laurel, a trans teenage girl who meets four queer feminist vampires while on vacation in Los Angeles. Their goal - to rid the city's streets of predatory men. It a fun film with a trans actress as its lead and a great soundtrack - perfect for fans of THE LOST BOYS. Where to watch it: AMAZON PRIME (FREEVEE) LGBTQ+ rep : Trans Women, Queer Women Genre : Vampire, Horror, Action, Comedy Film Run Time : 1hr 30m 7. DEAD BOY DETECTIVES (2024) Based on the comics by Neil Gaiman, DEAD BOY DETECTIVES  follows a group of mystery-solving teens - two of whom are dead - as they help their ghostly clients find closure and move on to the afterlife... all while trying to escape death, witches and demons. It's queer and funny, spooky and dark, and everything you want from a supernatural mystery. Perfect for fans of Buffy and Scooby-Doo (just with a few more violent deaths). Where to watch it: NETFLIX LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men, Queer Women Genre : Supernatural, Mystery, Horror, Comedy Episode Run Time : 50m 8. DEAD HOT (2024) DEAD HOT  is wild. It's a short and sweet six-part comedy thriller mini-series about love, loss, sexuality, identity, and class. It follows two friends (Elliot and Jess), brought together by the loss of Peter - Jess's Brother and Elliot's first love. It's dark and funny and creepy and very very gay. Where to watch it: AMAZON PRIME LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Men Genre : Comedy, Thriller, Mystery Episode Run Time : 30m 9. FEAR STREET: PARTS 1-3 (2021) FEAR STREET  is a trilogy of supernatural horror films - the first film set in 1994, the second in 1978, and the third in 1666. Based on the RL Stein books of the same name, each film revolves around a group of teenagers trying to break the curse that has been over their town for hundreds of years. Expect lots of blood, gore, suspense, and supernatural horror running throughout all three films. Where to watch it: NETFLIX LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Women Genre : Horror, Slasher, Supernatural, Mystery Film Run Time : 1hr 50m each 10. THE OWL HOUSE (2020-2023) After accidentally going through a door to the world of the Boiling Isles, a teenage human named Luz discovers magic is real and longs to become a witch. With the rebellious witch Eda to guide her and pint-sized demon King at her aid, Luz starts to learn magic, make some friends, and mayybeee gets a girlfriend?!?!? Expect magic, mayhem, and queer characters a-plenty in THE OWL HOUSE - a perfect treat for fans of Gravity Falls, Amphibia and films about magical academies. Where to watch it: DISNEY+ LGBTQ+ rep : Queer Women Genre : Witchy, Fantasy, Adventure, Animation Episode Run Time : 20m BONUS: JENNIFER'S BODY (2009) JENNIFER'S BODY  has become a bit of a cult classic. The original marketing of this film didn't do it justice - it's a feminist revenge horror/comedy with themes of toxic friendship, grief, and sexuality at its core. Jennifer is different after a traumatic evening at a local bar, her male classmates are steadily being killed off and it's up to her best friend Needy to uncover the truth. Is Jennifer evil now? Yes, and she wants to eat your boyfriend. Where to watch it: DISNEY+ LGBTQ+ rep : Queer women Genre : Supernatural, Horror, Dark Comedy, Satire Film Run Time : 1hr, 40m Think we've missed something off our list that's perfect to watch this spooky season? Send us a message @ProudGeekStore  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

Why does witchcraft have such a hold over queer people? Why was Willow from Buffy such a gay icon? And why are queer-coded Disney villains always the best? It's because witchcraft is often an expression of otherness, empowerment, and self-discovery - all things that have close ties to the queer experience... but also, magic is kind of sick. Whether you're looking for queer books like Harry Potter or you're just looking to read about hot lesbian witches being badass, here are 20 LGBTQ+ books about witches, wizards, and homosexuals. Her Majesty's Royal Coven Juno Dawson Adult Urban Fantasy Queer Rep: Trans Women, Queer Women Themes: prophesies & covens Her Majesty's Royal Coven follows a top-secret government department of witches and the deadly threat to the nation that they must confront. Hidden among us is a secret coven of witches. They are Her Majesty's Royal Coven. They protect crown and country from magical forces and otherworldly evil. But their greatest enemy will come from within. There are whisperings of a prophecy that will bring the coven to its knees, and five best friends are about to be caught at the centre. Life as a modern witch was never simple ... but now it's about to get apocalyptic. Prepare to be bewitched by Juno Dawson's first adult series. Witchlight Jessi Zabarsky YA Fantasy - Graphic Novel Queer Rep: Queer Women Themes: swords & souls Witchlight is a visually beautiful graphic novel populated with diverse, queer witches. Jessi Zabarsky's lushly illustrated shoujo-adventure comic that introduces Lelek the witch as she blows through town one day, kidnapping the peasant girl Sanja. The unlikely pair grow more entangled as they travel together, looking for the missing half of Lelek's soul – the source of her true magical abilities. Both women are seeking to learn, in their own ways, how to be whole again. This book collects the serialized story all into a single volume, including the heart-gripping conclusion and other all-new material. Mooncakes Wendy Xu & Suzanne Walker YA Cosy Fantasy Queer Rep: Non-Binary, Queer Women Themes: witches & werewolves Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery. Now, Conjurers Freddie Kölsch YA Magical Horror/Mystery Queer Rep: Queer Men, Queer Women Themes: covens & demons A 90s witchy horror perfect for fans of The Craft. November 1999. North Dana, Massachusetts. Nesbit Nuñez discovers the partially devoured body of Bastion Attia: star quarterback, secret witch, and Nesbit’s even-more-secret boyfriend. No one knew why brilliant, gentle Bastion lived his life by a seemingly arcane set of rules, including a strange manner of speech and an inability to say his own name. Now the remaining members of North Coven vow to get answers. Nothing can prepare them for what they uncover: Bastion had been locked in a terrifying battle of wits and wills with something living deep beneath an ancient mausoleum in the local cemetery. North Coven must confront the red-gloved monster that took piece after piece of Bastion, that he fought until his last breath. Witch: An Anthology Michelle Tea Supernatural Anthology Queer Rep: Queer Women, Queer Cast Themes: myth, magic & power An adult woman haunted by her childhood muses on the foster system, institutions, and the medieval tale of a girl given to a witch. A genderqueer Brooklynite learns of their past life as a murdered sorceress. An uptight participant at a Northern California witch camp finds community in the kitchen. A professor uses magic to help students under attack by right-wing politicians. In this collection of manifestos, poetry, playscripts, and prose, the archetype of the Witch is honored and unpacked, poked and prodded, owned and othered. From work centered in antiquity, to writing which illustrates how primordial occult energies continue to enliven our world today. With work from CAConrad, Edgar Fabián Frías, Amanda Yates Garcia, Ashley Ray, Brooke Palmieri, Yumi Sakugawa, Kai Cheng Thom, Ariel Gore, Myriam Gurba, Fariha Róisín, and many others. Cemetery Boys Aiden Thomas YA Paranormal Fantasy Romance Queer Rep: Trans Men, Queer Men Themes: brujos & ghosts Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave. Lessons In Magic And Disaster Charlie Jane Anders Adult Magical Fantasy Queer Rep: Trans Women, Queer Women Themes: grief & family Jamie is basically your average New England academic-in-training - she has a strong queer relationship, an esoteric dissertation proposal, and inherited generational trauma. But she has one extraordinary secret: she's also a powerful witch. Serena, Jamie's mother, has been hiding from the world in an old one-room schoolhouse for several years, grieving the death of her wife and the simultaneous explosion in her professional life. All she has left are memories. Jamie’s busy digging into a three-hundred-year-old magical book, but she still finds time to teach Serena to cast spells and help her come out of her shell. But Jamie doesn't know the whole story of what happened to her mom years ago, and those secrets are leading Serena down a destructive path. The Honey Witch Sydney J Shields Cosy Fantasy Romance Queer Rep: Queer Women Themes: bee magic & romance Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow to any of the suitors who’ve tried to woo her. So when her grandmother whisks her away to the family cottage on the tiny Isle of Innisfree with an offer to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts immediately. But her newfound magic and independence come with a price: No one can fall in love with the Honey Witch. When Lottie Burke, a notoriously grumpy skeptic who doesn’t believe in magic, shows up on her doorstep, Marigold can’t resist the challenge to prove to her that magic is real. But soon, Marigold begins to care for Lottie in ways she never expected. And when darker magic awakens and threatens to destroy her home, she must fight for much more than her new home - at the risk of losing her magic and her heart. Sorcery And Small Magics Maiga Doocy Fantasy Romance Queer Rep: Queer Men Themes: forests & monsters Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics. He can summon butterflies with a song, or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms don’t earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic. That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite - respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon. The only thing they agree on is that getting caught using forbidden magic would mean the end of their careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. But Grimm casts spells, he doesn’t undo them, and Leo doesn’t mess with powerful magic. The Sapling Cage Margaret Killjoy Witchy Fantasy Queer Rep: Trans Women Themes: earth magic & power struggles Lorel has always dreamed of becoming a witch: learning magic, fighting monsters, and exploring the world beyond the small town where she and her mother run the stables. Even though a strange plague is killing the trees in the Kingdom of Cekon and witches are being blamed for it, Lorel wants nothing more than to join them. There’s only one problem: all witches are women, and she was born a boy. When the coven comes to claim her best friend, Lorel disguises herself in a dress and joins in her friend’s place, leaving home and her old self behind. She soon discovers the dark powers threatening the kingdom: a magical blight scars the land, and the power-mad Duchess Helte is crushing everything between her and the crown. In spite of these dangers, Lorel makes friends and begins learning magic from the powerful witches in her coven. However, she fears that her new friends and mentors will find out her secret and kick her out of the coven, or worse. Homegrown Magic Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos Cosy Fantasy Romance Queer Rep: Queer Women, Non-Binary Themes: cosy garden magic Yael Clauneck is the only scion of an obscenely wealthy banking family with its fingers in every pie in the realm. They’re on the precipice of a predetermined life when they flee their own graduation party, galloping away in search of… well, they’re not sure, but maybe the chance to feel like life can still be a grand adventure. Margot Greenwillow - talented plant witch, tea lover, and greenhouse owner - has never felt further from adventure in her life. She’s been desperately trying to keep what remains of her family's magic remedies business afloat. So when her childhood friend and former crush, Yael, rides back into her life, she’s shocked. But perhaps this could be a good thing. After all, Margot could use an assistant in the greenhouses. The Invocations Krystal Sutherland YA Paranormal Horror Queer Rep: Queer Women Themes: murder & the occult Zara Jones believes in magic because the alternative is too painful to bear - that her sister was murdered by a serial killer and there is precisely nothing she can do to change it. If there’s anything Zara cannot stand it's feeling powerless, so she decides she will do whatever it takes - even if that means partaking in the occult - to bring her sister back from the dead. Jude Wolf might be the daughter of a billionaire, but she is also undeniably cursed. After a deal with a demon went horribly wrong, her soul is now slowly turning necrotic. Flowers and insects die in her wake and monstrous things come to taunt her at night. If Jude can’t find the right someone to fix her mistake, she fears she’ll die very soon. Enter Emer Bryne: the solution to both Zara's and Jude's predicaments. The daughter of a witch, Emer sells spells to women in desperate situations willing to sacrifice a part of their soul in exchange for a bit of power, a bit of magic to change their lives. Spellfire Agatha Willow Erotic Fantasy Romance Queer Rep: Queer Women Themes: magic academies & romance Luna graduated from Grimoire Academy and never looked back - until she gets a call about her beloved former Professor Herringbone, who left Luna her prized spellbook collection. Luna is forced to return to the place she thought she’d left behind for good. Amelia is the last witch Luna wants to see. Once her high school crush, Amelia is now headmistress, and she’s in desperate need of Luna’s spellbook expertise. With the Academy’s future at stake, and despite her reservations, Luna reluctantly agrees to become a teacher. But returning to Grimoire means facing Amelia, and the unresolved feelings that linger between them. As they work together, Luna discovers that the true magic might be in the undeniable connection they share… WYND James Tynion IV & Michael Dialynas YA Fantasy - Graphic Novel Queer Rep: Queer Men Themes: hidden magic & adventure Wynd lives a quiet life in Pipetown - working at the local tavern, out of sight in the secret rooms beneath the floorboards, often stealing away to catch glimpses of the son of the castle’s groundskeeper as he works.  But Wynd also has a secret… magical blood betrayed by his pointed ears, forbidden within the city limits. His shaggy hair has obscured them for most of his life, but now that Wynd is a teenager they are growing too unwieldy to hide.  Joined by his best friend Oakley and Thorn, the groundskeeper’s son, Wynd’s strange dreams and an encounter with the city guard send him on the most dangerous adventure he could imagine, where Wynd will discover the magic in the world around him and, most importantly, the magic within himself.  A Lesson In Vengeance Victoria Lee YA Dark Academia/Mystery Queer Rep: Queer Women Themes: arcane magic & academia Felicity Morrow is back at Dalloway School. Perched in the Catskill mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she’s returned to graduate. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students - girls some say were witches. Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s history. The school doesn’t talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s determined to leave that behind her now; all Felicity wants is to focus on her senior thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget. Spell Bound FT Lukens YA Fantasy Romance Queer Rep: Queer Men, Non-Binary Themes: sorcerers & adventure Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan - to regain access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed. Antonia is… intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name - Rook - both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less. This Poison Heart Kalynn Bayron YA Fantasy Romance Queer Rep: Queer Women Themes: plant magic & mythology Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. When Briseis's aunt dies and left her a dilapidated estate in rural New York. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined - it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world. When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community. There is more to Bri's sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it. Infinity Alchemist Kacen Callender YA Dark Academia/Fantasy Queer Rep: Trans Men, Genderfluid Themes: class, power & alchemy For Ash Woods, practicing alchemy is a crime. Only an elite few are legally permitted to study the science of magic - so when Ash is rejected by Lancaster College of Alchemic Science, he takes a job as the school’s groundskeeper instead, forced to learn alchemy in secret. When he’s discovered by the condescending and brilliant apprentice Ramsay Thorne, Ash is sure he's about to be arrested - but instead of calling the reds, Ramsay surprises Ash by making him an offer: Ramsay will keep Ash's secret if he helps her find the legendary Book of Source, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power. As Ash and Ramsay work together and their feelings for each other grow, Ash discovers their mission is more dangerous than he imagined, pitting them against influential and powerful alchemists. Mamo Sas Milledge YA Fantasy - Graphic Novels Queer Rep: Queer Women Themes: hedge witches & spirits A visually beautiful fantasy graphic novel, filled with witches, curses and queer love. Orla O’Reilly, the youngest in a long line of hedge witches, is compelled to return home after the death of her grandmother, Mamo. In the wake of her Mamo’s passing, seas are impossible to fish, crops have soured, and even Jo Manalo’s attic is taken over by a poltergeist! And to make matters worse, it appears that the cause is Mamo, or her mislaid bones that is. Can Orla shoulder the responsibility of quieting her Mamo’s spirit, saving her hometown, and will she have to step up as the new witch of Haresden like Mamo always wanted? A Rather Vengeful Accord Caitlin Starling Dark Academia/Fantasy Queer Rep: Queer Women Themes: necromancy & academia St Penderghast's is an elite college for necromancers and gladiators, promising glory to those who can perfect the arcane arts of graving or spiring. Graving, being the act of raising the dead and shaping their decaying flesh into eldritch abominations. And spiring, the divine-fuelled combat against undead horrors in grand arenas, thrilling crowds of thousands. Halen Kilchoir would kill (and resurrect) anything to study graving at St. Penderghast's under the guidance of her hero, master necromancer Mortritis. But Hal cannot enlist the only way she can secure admission is to enter a dangerous accord with her mortal rival, Alastair Faulton – accomplished spirer and the infuriating, formidable exiled scion of the great Faulton dynasty. If they team up as spirer gladiators, fighting gruesome creatures in a cut-throat competition, they could both earn their prestigious places at the college. As Hal and Alastair fight grisly monsters and ghastly peers side by side, mending their years-long feud in the resplendent halls of the college, Hal faces the horrors of graving, spiring, and the revolting prospect of a romance with her own nemesis. Think we've missed something great? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

2025 was a great year for queer fiction, but as it comes to an end, we're looking forwards to some of the gay and bisexual MLM books coming out in 2026. From murder mysteries to hilarious gay rom-coms and dark, twisty queer thrillers, here are 20 of our most anticipated MLM books coming in 2026. Note: some release dates of these books may be pushed back and covers may change.   George Falls Through Time Ryan Collett Historical Fiction/Fantasy 12 March 2026 Newly laid off George’s internet bill is in his ex-boyfriend’s name. He’s got a spider-infested apartment, and two of the six dogs he’s walking in London have just escaped. It’s pure undiluted stress that sends him into a spiral, all the way to the year 1300. When he comes to, George recognizes the same rolling hills of Greenwich Park. But the luxuries and phone service of modernity are nowhere. In their place are locals with a bizarre, slanted speech in awe of his foreign clothes, who swiftly toss him in a dungeon. Despite the barbarity of a medieval world, a servant named Simon helps George acclimate to a simpler, easier existence - until a summons from the King threatens to send his life up in flames. One Week To Win The Chocolate Maker Timothy Janovsky Adult Romance/Retelling 15 January 2026 Dario Cotogna has a problem. Per his late grandfather’s wishes, if Dario’s not married by his thirty-second birthday, his family’s chocolate empire will go to his philandering little brother. To make matters worse, Dario’s agoraphobia keeps him locked away from the rest of the world. How can he put himself out there and meet “the one” if he literally can’t  put himself out there ? The solution? A global competition. Five lucky contestants get an all-expenses-paid trip to Dario’s luxury Italian villa for a chance at becoming his lawfully wedded spouse. But aspiring tattoo artist Charlie Moore isn’t looking for love - he’s looking for a miracle. As his grandparents’ sole caregiver, he’s desperate to keep their bill collectors at bay. Marrying into the Amorina Chocolate fortune could save his family home from foreclosure. But when Charlie meets the brilliant heir, their attraction is instant - and very, very real. Better The Devil Erik J Brown YA Mystery Thriller 22 January 2026 When a runaway teen is arrested for shoplifting, he's desperate not to be sent back to the hyper-religious parents he knows will never accept him. While at the police station, he notices a resemblance to the aged-up photos of Nate Beaumont, a child who went missing ten years ago - and, in a moment of desperation, he takes Nate’s identity in hopes that it will help him make a quick getaway. Before he can run again, Nate’s family arrives and welcomes him home to a life he never had. As "Nate" watches and waits for his chance to run, he finds that the Beaumonts are nurturing and loving, very different from his own parents. But soon unsettling things start to happen - vandalism, alarms going off in the middle of the night - and it becomes clear that someone knows "Nate" isn't who he says he is... and that the real Nate wasn't kidnapped, but murdered. He’s the Devil Tobi Coventry Dark Comedy/Horror 12 February 2026 Simon has always been a good guy, a charmer. He’s consistently employee of the month at his bougie restaurant job, neurotically tidy, and generally tries to do right by everyone. And his dark parts? He keeps those well-hidden. But when his best and only friend Josh moves out of their shared apartment, Simon’s world starts to fall apart when his new roommate Massimo moves in. Because Massimo has brought something - or someone - with him. He might just turn out to the be the roommate from hell... Strange things start to happen. Weird noises come from Massimo’s room, smells of earth and spoiled meat drift through the halls, lights flicker, and Simon’s nights fill with disturbing and alluring dreams. Meanwhile, across the city, murders are being committed, bodies torn apart from the inside. Massimo and whatever he’s unleashed begin to awaken Simon’s wild and exciting and horrifying inner self. Whatever this new friend is could be the end of Simon - or a completely new beginning. Espíritu (Cemetery Boys 2) Aiden Thomas YA Fantasy Romance 10 September 2026 Aiden Thomas returns to the beloved world of Cemetery Boys  in Espiritu, this time following Julian, who is dealing with newfound powers, a new relationship with Yadriel, and the return of demons he had hoped were gone forever! Ever since being sacrificed as part of a forbidden ritual, Julian has been able to see and communicate with the spirits of passed brujx. And that would be okay, if it allowed him to be part of his new boyfriend's community. But Julian’s also seeing other things: shadows in the corner of his eyes, glowing eyes in the dark, and “dark spots” on people – gaping, black gashes that are somehow wrong. He did ask his new magical boyfriend about it, but Yadriel has never heard of anything like it either, and he’s so busy with his new Brujx responsibilities, trying to figure out where all the new malingos are coming from, that Julian hates for his problems to ruin what little time together they have. Then, a strange new brujx shows up. Ángel, as a nonbinary brujx, can heal the living and release the dead, but more than that, they can also see the same dark spots as Julian. If All the Stars Go Dark S.G. Prince YA Sci-Fi Romance 16 February 2026 When eighteen-year-old Keller Hartman is recruited into the Legion’s most prestigious galactic unit, it’s a dream come true. He's worked hard for this. He’s ready to prove himself. The problem? His new partner - the beautiful, no-nonsense pilot Lament Bringer - wants nothing to do with him. Forced to work together under Legion orders, Keller and Lament team up with a motley crew of specialists to investigate a mysterious visionary who can predict catastrophes. As they begin to peel back layers, however, they realize there's more to the story than meets the eye. With threats mounting and secrets unfolding, Keller and Lament will need to trust one another in order to stop the dangers at play. But with trust comes other feelings - ones neither of them is prepared for. With the fate of the universe hanging in the balance, the only thing worse than failing their mission might just be losing each other. Bridget and Gabe Are Not Okay Lex Croucher YA Historical Fiction/Romance 13 August 2026 It should have been happily ever after. But now, Camelot’s famous couples have fallen apart. Newly crowned King Gabriel is having panic attacks in cupboards in between council meetings. He can't tell Arthur just how not okay he is - so he's set him free, to find love with someone who can get through the day without breaking down. Bridget has lost her spark for sparring, forfeiting again and again in the lists. When she’s invited to join Gabriel's round table, she hopes it’ll be the change she needs. But trying to navigate the post-happily-ever-after reality of a relationship with Gwen, when Bridget no longer feels like the dashing knight Gwen fell in love with, feels impossible. With the kingdom still reeling from an attempted uprising, and rumoured sightings of the holy grail, the questing beast and the green knight happening across the country, the gang depart on a PR tour destined for disaster. Can Gabriel be the king his country deserves? Can Bridget get her jousting groove back? And will they find their way back to the courtly love that once seemed fated? Minor Black Figures Brandon Taylor Adult Lit-Fic 19 March 2026 It’s summer and a young man walks through the gates of a luxurious mansion in the south of France. At the dinner table, the Blakes are waiting for Annie, the family matriarch and world-famous singer, her inscrutable husband David and their children, Dot, aloof and rebellious, Lily, the man’s carefree university friend, and their enigmatic older brother Felix. Between sun-drenched days spent lounging by the pool and nights blurring into endless, opulent parties far from the reality of life in London, a restless attraction grows between Felix and the man. The possibility to be part of a family – and an entire world – in which he doesn’t belong is suddenly within reach. But the idyllic haze of the summer slowly fades as they return to the city. While the man struggles with his troubled past and the challenges of navigating Felix’s world as a black, working-class person, Felix is tormented by demons of his own. Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs To Die Greer Stothers Fantasy/Rom-Com 03 February 2026 All his life, Sir Cameron has stayed as far away from danger as possible. He is, quite frankly, too handsome to die a violent and pointless death in battle. But when the Church hands down a prophecy to his fellow knights predicting that the only way to defeat their nemesis, the mad sorcerer Merulo, is to kill Cameron, he finds himself in a situation too sticky for even his considerable wiles. Short of ideas, Cameron throws himself on the mercy of the one person who now actually wants him to survive: the mad sorcerer. Merulo isn’t thrilled to be babysitting a spoilt, attention-seeking knight, but fate has tied them together. And transmogrifying Cameron into a vulture is at least a great source of entertainment. Cameron, meanwhile, is on a voyage of self-discovery. It turns out he’s really, really into surly sorcerers who lock him up and tell him what to do. Who knew? As a legion of knights surround their stronghold, the sorcerer’s poisonous ambitions draw ever closer to fruition. Cameron is quite invested in not dying, but he finds he’s also invested in Merulo. And sometimes, supporting the sorcerer you care about means taking an interest in their hobbies. Even if that hobby is trying to kill God... even if it might get you killed, too. Bloom Robbie Couch Adult Lit-Fic 09 April 2026 A delightful and heartwarming novel about family, love, grief, and one precocious houseplant, that reminds us of the beauty of living a life in full Bloom. Morris Warner is withering away. After the sudden death of his husband, Fred, he has shut himself off from the world. No more going to movies with friends, or swims in Lake Michigan, instead preferring the quiet loneliness of his history books and Jeopardy episodes with only the cat to hear his answers. Morris’s stepdaughter, Sloan, feels like she has nowhere to grow. She’s about to get married to the man of her dreams, if only her mother will let her actually plan her own wedding and trust her to build her own life after her father’s death. Jade is drying out. Literally. As a plant in Morris’s home, she and her plant housemates have been slowly wasting away, leaf by falling leaf, since Fred’s death and Morris’s lack of care. She needs to come up with a plan to make her new owner come back to life, no matter what it takes. The Way It Haunted Him Laura R. Samotin Dark Academia/Horror 09 June 2026 Michael Stein arrives at the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies battered and broken after the death of his boyfriend seven months prior. Blaming himself for the accident that killed him, Michael has come to the Institute to complete his boyfriend's dissertation as part of his effort at repentance. While Michael's own past leads him to condemn superstition as a way to mask prejudice and old-fashioned beliefs, his boyfriend's research argues that the folktales told in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe were based in truth, and that demons and other creatures walked the earth, wreaking havoc on peoples' lives. Instead of the Institute's infamous archivist, Michael is met by his grandson, Jacob Schechter, who has taken over the archive after his grandfather's death. A firm believer in the existence of the supernatural, Jacob explains that the archive plays host to a coterie of household demons. Michael insists that he is a skeptic, but strange and frightening occurrences plague his research, causing Michael to question both his sanity and his view of the world. City of Others Jared Poon Urban Fantasy 13 January 2026 In the sunny city of Singapore, the government takes care of everything - even the weird stuff. Benjamin Toh is a middle manager in the Division for Engagement of Unusual Stakeholders (DEUS), and his job is keep the supernatural inhabitants of Singapore happy and keep them out of sight. That is, don’t bother the good, normal citizens, and certainly don’t bother the bosses. Sure, he's overworked and understaffed, but usually, people (and senior management) don’t see what they don’t want to see.  But when an entire housing estate glitches out of existence on what was meant to be a routine check-in, Ben has to scramble to keep things under control and stop the rest of the city from disappearing. He may not have the budget or the bandwidth, but he has the best - if highly irregular and supernaturally inclined - team to help him. Together, they’ll traverse secret shadow markets, scale skyscrapers, and maybe even go to the stars, all so they can just do their goddamn job.  Fabulous Bodies Chuck Tingle Adult Horror 11 August 2026 From Chuck Tingle, USA Today bestselling author of Bury Your Gays, comes Fabulous Bodies, a supernatural joyride where Drive meets Beetlejuice. Fashion influencer by day and grave-robber by night, Poppy Stringer is on call when Eddie Michaels - a flamboyant, piano-slamming rockstar and queer icon - unexpectedly dies. All Poppy has to do is retrieve Eddie’s body from the medical examiner’s office, but what starts as a routine delivery quickly goes off course when Eddie wakes up. Poppy must fight for her life in a blood-soaked night of carnage and fabulous entertainment all across Palm Springs. The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay   Ryan Douglas YA Historical Fiction/Retelling 12 March 2026 Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington wants nothing more than to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma, behind and make a name for himself in the papers. But when tragedy strikes, dreams turn into a twisted reality. Forced to start anew in Harlem, only a letter of acceptance from the prestigious West Egg Academy is able to pull him back into the world. But the supposedly integrated private boys’ school is more of a catchy headline than a fact, with the same prejudices Nick left behind back home. And his secret but growing feelings for the founder’s wickedly charismatic son, Jay Gatsby Jr. -  who dances past society’s conventions with practiced ease - only add more complications. When Nick’s cutting pen exposes dangerous truths about West Egg and leads to perilous consequences, he and Jay must decide whether to spend a lifetime outrunning trouble or be the ones to light the match. Can they not only fight back but triumph? Or will the powers that be win yet again? Say Nephew Steven Pfau Memoir and Queer History - Non-Fiction 26 May 2026 Blending memoir and criticism, Steven Pfau pays tribute to the gay uncles who have shaped his sense of queer identity, culture, and history. The most influential - the mentor who would set the standard for all of Steven’s future mentors - was his uncle Bruce. A charismatic storyteller with a Burt Reynolds–esque bravado (and a mustache, leather jacket, and pair of cowboy boots to match), Bruce came out in 1950s Memphis and lived in New York City through many of the defining events of the gay liberation era. Bruce was both a unique fixture in Steven’s upbringing and an archetypal figure within a much broader history - a link in a long lineage of uncles, literal and figurative, who have offered various forms of queer tutelage to younger men. But what role is the nephew supposed to play in these bonds? And who does he become once his uncles are no longer there to guide him? The Demon Of Beausoleil Mari Costa Erotic Paranormal Adventure - Graphic Novel 27 January 2026 A half-demon socialite-turned-exorcist and his disgruntled bodyguard have no trouble facing down the hordes of darkness - but facing their feelings for each other? Well, now that’s a whole different story... Helianthes is a Cambion - a child born touched by demons. Horned, clawed, and tailed, Helianthes - Hell for short - is a devil-may-care exorcist whose devil-may-care attitude has succeeded in alienating those closest to him - all save for his long-suffering bodyguard, Elias, who sees him as less a strange, mythical being and more just a... nuisance. Together, the two venture into the streets of this psuedo-remix of Victorian London to exorcise demons (and maybe cause a little mischief on the way). But as Hell becomes increasingly drawn to his enigmatic bodyguard - and as Elias becomes increasingly aware of his feelings for his trouble of a charge - the two find themselves faced with a growing, chaotic dark that might threaten everything they’ve been working toward... 25 Days In Athens Jack Strange Adult Rom-Com 18 June 2026 ‘Please join us and celebrate the wedding of Ollie & Alec. August 31st 2026. Athens, Greece. Kindly RSVP by August 1st 2025 to confirm your attendance.’ Will is not ready for this. How can Ollie be moving on from him so quickly? And GREECE?! The exact location that he and Ollie dreamed about getting married in one day… It’s been three years since Ollie and Will had spoken, their relationship crumbling after Ollie had proposed and Will had said ‘no’, but now, Will realises he might have made the biggest mistake of his life. There is only one option. With his mind made up, Will packs his bags and heads to Athens. He has 25 days until Ollie and Alec get married, 25 days to complete his mission to declare his love for Ollie, win him back, and of course, stop the wedding. The last person Will expects to run into on his first day in Athens is his childhood friend, Sam. But Sam isn’t the lanky little boy clutching his Pokémon cards anymore; Sam is now an impossibly handsome grown-up (although still secretly clutching his Pokémon cards). Nothing Tastes As Good Luke Dumas Body Horror/Thiller 02 July 2026 Retail worker Emmett Truesdale has never fit the Southern California mold of six-pack, suntanned masculinity. Over three hundred pounds, he carries the weight of his childhood trauma and millennial ennui around his waist and in his soul. After trying every diet under the sun, he remains stuck - in his dead-end job, in love, and in his body. Desperate for help, he enrolls in a clinical trial for a new weight loss product called Obexity. The treatment is as horrifying as the results are miraculous and as Emmett sheds pounds at superhuman speed, every part of his life improves overnight. Unfortunately, Obexity comes with some killer side effects, including lost stretches of time and overwhelming cravings. Worse, people who were cruel to him have started disappearing and when the police warn of a cannibalistic killer on the loose, he fears that Obexity is turning him into a monster. But how can he give it up now that people are finally starting to treat him like he’s human? Be Still My Unbeating Heart Josh Winning   Paranormal Murder Mystery Rom-Com 06 August 2026 A cozy vampire vacation mystery set in a seaside Italian village, featuring a reformed vampire, his magical talking cat, and a handsome, brooding detective Bastian may be a vampire, but he doesn’t bite. Not anymore, at least. These days, Bastian just wants to live his best undead life: visit charming Italian villages, maybe dance in the square with a cute boy, all with Whitby, his best friend (and magical talking cat) by his side. What he doesn’t want? To stumble across a dead body on the beach, a girl who appears to have been killed by a vampire. It wasn’t Bastian. He swears - on his own grave. But the local police chief doesn’t trust Bastian, or any vampire, for that matter, so he assigns detective Nico De Luca to keep an eye on him until his trial. And while Bastian normally wouldn’t complain about having a gorgeous, mysterious man by his side, he has more important things to worry about, because the police chief has called the Vampire Council, and if the real killer is still at large when they arrive, the whole town could be in danger. Fruit Fly Jack Silver Dark Comedy/Thriller 23 April 2026 Anyone can write a bestseller. Here’s how: Go gay, go sad, go dark. It’s been seven years since Mallory shot to fame as a literary sensation. But after years of struggling with writer’s block, she’s desperate to resurrect her career before it spirals into obscurity. She needs inspiration to strike - and fast. Enter a young struggling addict sleeping under bridges and trading sex for survival. He’s vulnerable. He’s enigmatic. He’s exactly what Mallory has been looking for. Mallory needs Leo if she wants another bestseller. Authenticity sells, and there’s nothing more authentic than real life. She’s the perfect person to tell Leo’s story. Gay, sad, dark - just what the world needs right now. But as secrets threaten to unravel more than just her career, Mallory must just how far will she go to pen the perfect story? Think we've missed something great? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

Pride season may be over, but there's still a load of LGBTQ+ festivals and events happening across the rest of the calendar year. Whether it's film festivals, queer markets, live theatre or art exhibits, there's something for everyone - so here's our list of queer festivals and markets happening around the UK, this year and beyond. Shout Festival - Birmingham - November Queer Art & Performance Festival SHOUT Festival is Birmingham’s annual festival of queer art & culture, taking place at venues across the city, The festival takes place annually in the Autumn and celebrates the work of LGBTQ+ artists and communities across the Midlands including theatre, comedy, drag shows, workshops, exhibitions and voguing balls. Find out more about upcoming events at https://shoutfestival.co.uk BFI Flare Festival - London - March Queer Film Festival Formerly known as the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (LLGFF), BFI Flare is the largest LGBTQ+ film festival in Europe. It takes place every spring in London, England. Organised and run by the British Film Institute, all BFI Flare screenings take place in the BFI Southbank with tickets starting at £5. You can get tickets to screenings at https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/flare Queer Bloomsbury - Lewes - September Queer Art & Philosophy Festival Queer Bloomsbury is a weekend-long event celebrating contemporary queer identities, politics and desires. It brings together emerging and established voices from across the LGBTQ+ community, challenging the status quo and imagining new ways of living - just as the Bloomsbury group did a century ago. Find out more at https://www.charleston.org.uk/festival/queer-bloomsbury-2025/ Outburst Arts Festival - Belfast - November Queer Arts Festival Outburst is a nine-day international art festival in Belfast that showcases the best in new queer performance, literature, film, music, digital creativity, dance and visual arts. It’s a sharing point for artists, thinkers and participants with events including opera, art markets, theatre, film and workshops. Check out upcoming events at this year's festival here: https://outburstarts.com/ Body Movements - London - August Queer Dance & Art Festival Body Movements is a London-based queer dance festival that celebrates queer bodies in club culture, and has a focus on electronic music. From their roots as a DIY, radical queer gathering, sprawling across 15 spaces in hackney wick, Body Movements is now an open-air day festival amongst the trees of Southwark park. Tickets start at £20 (plus booking fee) Take a look at this year's lineup here: https://bodymovements.co.uk/ Pride Comic Art Festival - Bristol - September Queer Comic & Art Festival Pride Comic Art Festival (PRIDE CAF) gives LGBTQA+ artists, writers and creators a place to exhibit and sell their work, and for the general public to discover new comics, zines, art and stories. It's a one-day event and usually includes talks throughout the day along with workshops to help inspire creativity. This event is FREE and open to all ages. Why not get involved in PRIDE CAF by visiting their website here: https://pridecaf.co.uk/ Queer Spirit - Devon - August Queer Spirituality Festival Queer Spirit Festival is a non-profit, grassroots community event, run by volunteers, celebrating the creative magical spirit of LGBTQ+ people. Relax, play and make new friends, absorb the healing energy of nature, share your stories and explore new ideas and practices. The four-day camping festival includes performances, traders, healing workshops, sharing circles and therapy, as well as live music and performances. Learn more about Queer Spirit here: https://queerspirit.net/ Student Pride - London - February Queer Youth Festival National Student Pride is a weekend-long event for students - full of celebration, talks, club events, networking, live performances, a careers fair and an awards ceremony. It's made for students, run by students, and committed to improving the queer student experience across the UK. The daytime festival is open to anyone over the age of 16 - if you are under 16 you can still attend if you are accompanied by an adult. Take a look at this year's lineup and buy tickets here: https://www.studentpride.co.uk/ Queer East - London - April Queer Film & Performance Festival Queer East is a ten-day film festival centering LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia. Launched in 2020 in response to the lack of Asian representation in cinema, onstage, and behind the scenes, the festival takes places across multiple venues across London, exploring notions of what it means to be queer and Asian in the modern world. Find out more and buy tickets to screenings here: https://queereast.org.uk/ LDN Queer Mart - London - Quarterly Queer Market LDN Queer Mart is a very queer, community-focused market event, held at various locations in London throughout the year. Their events offer queer artists and queer-owned small business owners to showcase their work, connect with attendees and other traders, and sell their products to the public. If you're a fan of beautiful art, supporting small businesses, and a general sense of queer joy, this one's definitely worth a visit. Stay up to date, sign up to be a trader , or apply to volunteer by visiting their linktree here: https://linktr.ee/ldnqueermart SQUIFF - Glasgow - October Queer Film Festival SQIFF (Scottish Queer International Film Festival) is a non-profit LGBTQ+ film festival that was set up back in 2015. Since then, SQUIFF has held its annual Film Festival in Glasgow every October, whilst also running events and screenings throughout the year. Their aim is to support marginalised groups within the LGBTQ+ community, provide networking opportunities for queer filmmakers, and build community through queer films. Check out their upcoming events here: https://www.sqiff.org/ Deviants Market - Brighton - Quarterly Kinky Queer Art Market Deviants Market is a new one on the scene. Launching in 2025 and held at Komedia in Brighton, they focus on the kinkier side of queer markets. Expect plenty of jewellery, apparel, art prints, erotica, accessories, and ceramics with a kinky edge. Entry is free, though donations are welcome and they also hold a raffle. Shop small, sexy, queer businesses at a local kink-focused pride market. Check out their upcoming events here: https://linktr.ee/deviantsmarket Homotopia - Liverpool - November Queer Art & Culture Festival Homotopia Festival is the UK’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ arts and culture festival. Every November, the Liverpool-based festival runs a month-long series of events and performances showcasing local, national, and international LGBTQIA+ artists and creatives. Events across the city include exhibitions. talks, screenings, live shows, workshops and parties. The festival is taking a break this year, but there's still lots happening the rest of the calendar year which you can find here: https://www.homotopia.net/ Homotopia also offers a 12-month support program for early career artists called QueerCore. The program offers support for LGBTQIA+ artists in the Liverpool City Region to grow, build connections and develop new ideas. Learn more about Queercore here: https://www.homotopia.net/queercore/ The Queer Fringe Festival - Cardiff - June Queer Art & Performance Festival The Queer Fringe Festival launched in 2024. Some of Cardiff's best venues and artists come together for a month of queer fringe events - including theatre, comedy, live music, film, drag, visual art exhibitions, dance, and digital arts. Run by the team behind The Queer Emporium , the festival is Wales's first queer fringe festival and with so many events happening across the month, you're bound to find time to attend at least a few. You can find their program here: https://queerfringefestival.com/whats-on/ Queer Art Market - Manchester - Quarterly Queer Market Manchester Queer Art Market (MQAM) is a queer art market held quarterly at Feel Good Club that allows LGBTQ+ artists, creatives, and makers in the North West to show off their work. Run by a collective of queer makers and market lovers, their aim is to ensure that the market is accessible to all artists, regardless of financial barriers. If you get a chance to go to one of these events, do. The vibe is lovely, the people are amazing and the art is very very queer. Find out when their next event is here: https://linktr.ee/mcrqueerartmarket Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest - London - September Queer DIY Art & Film Festival Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest has been running in London since 2011 as an entirely volunteer-run organisation. Every autumn, they showcase an eclectic mix of films, arts and events celebrating LGBTIQA+ stories from around the world. From feature films to experimental installations, workshops and lively debates to wild parties, Fringe! hosts a multitude of diverse events to tickle every one of the senses. Learn about this year's week-long festival here: https://www.fringefilmfest.com/ Leeds Queer Film Festival - Leeds - March Queer Film Festival Leeds Queer Film Festival is a DIY festival run by and for the LGBTQ+ community in Leeds. It combines queer cinema with group discussions, workshops, and talks, raising awareness about current issues of relevance to the community, along with other activities, crafts, and food. It's an annual five-day event that runs every spring, perfect for anyone with a love of queer cinema and open discussion. Submissions for next year's festival are currently open and can be found here: https://www.leedsqueerfilmfestival.co.uk/ Mighty Hoopla - London - May Queer Pop Music Festival First held at a Butlins in Bognor Regis, Mighty Hoopla has grown to become Europe's largest pop music festival. It's currently held at Brockwell Park in London and getting bigger and better every year. Expect plenty of pop music, 90's faves and DJ sets from drag queens. This year's lineup included Ciara, Kate Nash, The Vegaboys and Kesha. If you love camp pop, dance classics and 90s R&B, then this one's for you. Sound like fun? Grab yourself tickets for next year's event here: https://mightyhoopla.com/ ​ Queerfest - Norwich - February Queer Art Festival Queerfest is a month-long LGBTQ+ festival held annual in Norwich every February to coincide with LGBT+ History Month. It's a celebration of LGBTQ+ artists, makers, filmmakers, and performers with a whole bunch of film screening, markets, events, workshops and talks. A wonderful place to find new art, new ideas and queer joy. Check out what's on next February, along with a selection of Pride events here: https://queerfestnorwich.uk/ The Coast Is Queer - Brighton - October Queer Book Festival The Coast is Queer is Brighton’s annual festival of LGBTQ+ writing taking place over a long weekend each October. The first of its kind in the UK, the festival creates a space for queer readers, writers and allies to come together in a grassroots celebration of the written word and its ability to illuminate and enrich the life of the LGBTQ+ community. Sign up for their mailing list and stay up to date on the festival here: https://coastisqueer.com/ The Queer Campfire - Multiple Locations - June Queer Camping Festival Running since the summer of 2021, The Queer Campfire was predominantly created as a safe space for LGBTQIA+ women, trans and non-binary people to join together for a weekend of camping somewhere in the middle of the UK. Past locations have included Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and The Vale of Belvoir. Each year the camping festival picks a location and a line-up of diverse queer talent and workshops for you to enjoy, getting back to basics in nature and creating connections. Sound like fun? Grab yourself tickets for next year's event here: https://www.thequeercampfire.co.uk/ The Canny Queer Collective - Newcastle - Quarterly Queer Markets & Live Performances Based in Newcastle, The Canny Queer Collective hosts a quarterly LGBTQ+ fayre featuring local sellers, open-mic performances and live music. The group also host casual events throughout the year, as well as an annual mini music festival in the summer platforming LGBTQ+ artists. Stay up to date with their events here: https://www.instagram.com/cannyqueercollective/ Out & Wild - Devon - June Queer Wellness Festival Although Out & Wild is a relatively new festival (piloted in 2021), it's quickly become the UK’s biggest festival for lesbian, bi, trans and queer women and those who are non-binary. Held annually in Pembrokeshire, the festival focuses on wellness and shared experiences giving the festival a 'Pride in the country' feel. There's plenty to do, with music, comedy, wellness, workouts, spoken word, talks, wild swimming, hikes and workshops. If it sounds like your cup of tea, you can grab yourself camping or non-camping tickets here: https://www.outandwild.co.uk/home QueerSwap - London - Monthly Queer Market & Swap-Meet QueerSwap hosts monthly sustainable swap-meets and socials across London. Whether it's clothes swaps, book swaps, or workshops you're after, why not swing by, meet some new people, and join in the fun? They're a great day out, celebrating LGBTQ+ creatives from London and beyond, full of creativity, community, and all-round good vibes. Take a look at their linktree to learn more about upcoming events: https://linktr.ee/queerswap Have we missed a queer festival or market near you? Want to add your event to our list? Ping us a message over on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

It's time once again to take a look at some of the best trans and non-binary books coming out over this coming year. From campy murder mysteries to queer dark academia and epic trans fantasy novels, here's our list of 20 trans and non-binary books to keep an eye out for in 2026. Note: some release dates of these books may be pushed back and covers may change. The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones Lex Croucher Genre: YA Dark Academia Fantasy Queer Rep: Non-Binary, Queer Cast 0 9 June 2026 Dark academia meets fantasy in this timely page-turner about a student who fails to gain admission to the UK's only school of magic but then finds their way there years later and unearths the ugly secrets simmering behind its ancient walls. Briar always dreamed of attending the Temple School of Thaumaturgy, the elite boarding school that's produced the most CEOs and Prime Ministers in history, long rumoured to be magical. Briar's best friend, Seb, just wanted them to stay together forever. When Seb gets an acceptance letter and Briar doesn't, their relationship is shattered - until, at eighteen, Briar secures a temp job sorting through the magical junk in Temple's attic, and discovers that quiet, sensitive Seb, the boy they once loved more than anything else in the world, has become the villain. Queen Of Faces Petra Lord Genre: YA Fantasy Adventure Queer Rep: Trans Women, Genderfluidity 29 January 2026 Anabelle is trapped in a boy’s body, and in a year, it will kill her. In the nation of Caimor, the wealthy buy and trade bodies like clothes. But Ana can only afford a grey, damaged male form, and by her seventeenth birthday, it’s already falling apart. As her extraordinary magical ability grows, but her body continues to fail her, she is left with only one choice: become an assassin for Paragon Academy, Caimor's prestigious school of magic. But rebellion brews in Caimor, and at its helm is Khaoivhe, the most infamous dark mage in history. As Ana steals, fights and kills for Paragon, and forms a tentative alliance - and maybe more - with the elusive Wes, she discovers secrets that transform her concept of hero and villain … while striving, above all, to become her truest self. And that might just be the most powerful thing of all. Missing In Soho Holly Stars Genre: Campy Murder Mystery Queer Rep: Non-Binary 0 5 February 2026 Photographer Jeremy Edmunds has vanished without a trace. Last known location? Soho. As the owner of Lady’s Bar, no one knows the city better than drag queen Misty Divine. So who better to help private detective Sylvester Green follow this missing man’s trail than the Queen of Soho herself? But no sooner has one mystery landed, than another one takes Misty by surprise. Because the next day, Sylvester is back. The difference? Yesterday, he was alive and safe. Today, he’s dripping blood onto her doorstep after narrowly escaping an attack on his life. With danger drawing in, Misty must take Sylvester’s investigation into her perfectly manicured hands. Can she solve the case, and find the missing photographer? Or will the next crime for Misty to solve be a murder? Hell’s Heart Alexis Hall Genre: Science Fiction Queer Rep: Trans Women, Queer Women 10 March 2026 Earth is a ruin, and the scattered remnants of humanity scavenge what they can from the stars under the watchful auspices of a grab-bag of collectives, corporations, and churches which are all that remains of what we once called society. Having long exhausted any conventional sources of energy, life in the solar system is now sustained by a volatile, hallucinogenic substance called spermaceti, which is harvested from the brains of vast cetacean-like Leviathans that swim the atmospheric currents of Jupiter. Finding herself with no money and little to occupy her groundside, the narrator (“I”) takes a commission aboard the hunter-barque Pequod as it sets out in pursuit of precious spermaceti. Once aboard, however, she finds herself pulled inexorably into the orbit of the barque’s captain, a charismatic but fanatically driven woman who the narrator names only as “A”. As the Pequod plunges ever deeper into the turbulent, monster-haunted atmosphere of the gas giant, the narrator begins to lose herself in the eerie word of Leviathan-hunting and the captain’s increasingly insistent delusions; the only thing that might keep her grounded is the bond she develops with Q, a woman from the wreck of Old Earth whose skin is marked with holographic light and who remembers things otherwise lost. Worst-Case Scenario Ray Stoeve Genre: YA Romance Queer Rep: Non-Binary, Transmasculine 19 February 2026 Sidney has one goal for their junior year. Well... two, if they’re being honest. Number become president of their school’s Queer Alliance club. And number keep their self-diagnosed anxiety in check so their grades don’t tank like they did last year. But when the election results in a tie with none other than Sidney’s arch nemesis, the class clown Forrest, the two are forced to share the presidency until a revote at the end of term. Sidney expects Forrest to be insufferable, but it turns out that working together is... kind of nice? As surprising feelings for Forrest emerge, Sidney’s techniques for managing their anxiety stop working. With the reelection approaching and assignments starting to pile up, will all this pressure be too much for Sidney to handle on their own? Espíritu (Cemetery Boys 2) Aiden Thomas Genre: YA Fantasy Romance Queer Rep: Trans Men, Non-Binary, Queer Men 10 September 2026 Aiden Thomas returns to the beloved world of Cemetery Boys in Espiritu, this time following Julian, who is dealing with newfound powers, a new relationship with Yadriel, and the return of demons he had hoped were gone forever! Ever since being sacrificed as part of a forbidden ritual, Julian has been able to see and communicate with the spirits of passed brujx. And that would be okay, if it allowed him to be part of his new boyfriend's community. But Julian’s also seeing other things: shadows in the corner of his eyes, glowing eyes in the dark, and “dark spots” on people – gaping, black gashes that are somehow wrong. He did ask his new magical boyfriend about it, but Yadriel has never heard of anything like it either, and he’s so busy with his new Brujx responsibilities, trying to figure out where all the new malingos are coming from, that Julian hates for his problems to ruin what little time together they have. Then, a strange new brujx shows up. Ángel, as a nonbinary brujx, can heal the living and release the dead, but more than that, they can also see the same dark spots as Julian. This Wretched Beauty Elle Grenier Genre: YA Gothic Historical Fiction/Retelling Queer Rep: Trans Women 17  February 2026 In the smoky underworld of 1860s London, a labyrinth of molly houses, crumbling estates and illicit affairs, this gloriously gothic trans retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray unfurls a twisting tale of love, deceit, and dissolution. This atmospheric reimagining is perfect for fans of Every Exquisite Thing and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. London, 1867. Dorian Gray is wealthy, beautiful, and miserable. Heir to both the fortune and reputation of their austere, manipulative grandfather, their only moments of joy are snatched by sneaking out to their father’s gallery for secret visits. One night, they meet a sweet, talented young painter named Basil, who immediately recognizes Dorian as his new muse. Dorian is struck by the beauty and depth that Basil paints into their portrait - and dares to hope there might be more to life than living as their grandfather’s perfect, empty-headed heir. Thoughts Be Bloody Auden Patrick Genre: Fantasy & Dark Academia Retelling Queer Rep: Trans Men 15 September 2026 A struggling student, a resident golden boy, and the curse that will bring them this queer, trans retelling is Hamlet as you’ve never read it before The summer before his sophomore year, Horatio Bithersea walks into the university library to find Carson Hamlett, resident golden boy and master magician, cradling his father’s dead body. Life at Elsinore, one of the most prestigious universities in the secretive magical world, simply goes on when the professor’s death is ruled an accident - despite the mysterious circumstances and the bloody scene.  A year later, Horatio is keeping his head down, attempting to graduate without his out-of-control magic harming his classmates. That changes when the ghost of Hamlett’s father appears and places a curse on Horatio and avenge his death by destroying Elsinore and its heart, lest the ghost robs them of their minds, memories, and their very souls. These Shattered Spires Cassidy Ellis Salter Genre: YA Gothic Fantasy Queer Rep: Non-Binary, Queer Cast 10 March 2026 Entombed beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots. Those yet to succumb to the curse of decay inhabit Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from across the four magical disciplines - blood, bone, stone and botany. The castle is thrown into chaos when the ruler of Fourspires is assassinated. To crown a new ruler, the arcanists and their human familiars are forced to kill or be killed in the Slaughter, a bloody fight for succession at the top of the Fifth Tower. Familiars, both servants and sources of power to arcanists, are forbidden from even speaking. For them, the Slaughter means certain death. When Nixie, a botanical familiar, learns that her fate can be avoided and the rotting curse of Fourspires lifted, she'll stop at nothing to save herself. But she must work with familiars from across the rival disciplines - not easy when one of them is her bone witch ex-girlfriend, Taro - find four magical curse keys and climb the deadly Fifth Tower. With just 48 hours until the Slaughter begins, Nixie and Taro must forge an unlikely alliance with rival familiars Alis and Elliot. Together, the four Wyrdos must battle re-animated skeletons, poisonous and possessed plants, un-dead nuns and the deadliest enemies of all; each other. Galaxy 2: As The World Falls Down Jadiza Axelrod & Rye Hickman Genre: Superheroes - Graphic Novels Queer Rep: Trans Women, Queer Women 05 May 2026 Taylor Barzelay is finally living as her authentic self, a purple alien space princess with blue hair and superpowers. With a loving girlfriend, Kat, and an adorable talking corgi that doubles as a bodyguard, Taylor should feel more at home on Earth than ever. So why doesn't she? As Kat plans for life after high school, Taylor begins to wonder what the future holds for her. Despite dealing with bigots in her hometown, protecting her friend Nia Nal from an evil alien aunt, and honing her powers more than ever before, Taylor still isn't sure she can claim her identity as the superhero Galaxy. When the Vane, an alien race that destroyed her home planet, finally arrive on Earth in search of Taylor, her biggest fear becomes reality. Shake Out the Ghosts Al Hess Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance Queer Rep: Trans Men, Non-Binary 10 March 2026 A brutal assault nine months ago left eccentric portrait artist Micah with facial scars and PTSD. He’s struggled to leave his apartment ever since, and he can’t let anyone in. Then his only sanctuary is disrupted by signs of a haunting. Between the 80s synth pop and motivation messages scrawled on his bathroom mirror, Micah finds himself more charmed than frightened by who he believes to be Cosmo, the deceased previous resident of his apartment. But when Cosmo’s ghostly visits suddenly stop, Micah is determined to lure him back. Meanwhile, sculpture artist Cosmo - dramatic, unconventional, and very much alive - is mourning his old self. His boyfriend’s a serial cheater, he’s continually passed over for a promotion at work, and he’s lost contact with his best friend. To make matters worse, his apartment is being haunted by the ghost of a bespectacled man with an eye socket of scars. It’s his last straw, and seeking a new start, Cosmo moves out. The Body Riddle Sam K MacKinnon Genre: Adult Lit-Fic Queer Rep: Non-Binary 02 July 2026 When Lex finally receives a date for their chest surgery, they’re not sure if they want to go through with it. But it’s been a year since they’ve had sex with their cis partner, Ada, who believes Lex’s surgery will rekindle their kinky dynamic. When surgery doesn’t have the outcome either expects, Lex, in the spirit of their non-monogamous relationship, tries to support Ada's new romance with Noah, a cis man. But Lex’s jealousy spirals - Is Ada replacing them? And does she prefer cis masculinity after all? Then Lex meets Sadie, a magnetic nonbinary coworker who awakens a new attraction. Lex thought they were only attracted to women and has never dated another trans person. Unsure about their changing sexuality, Lex hides the budding romance from Ada. As secrets build, Lex must decide what kind of love - and life - they really want. Carrying Samantha Josephs Genre: Contemporary Horror Queer Rep: Trans Women 04 June 2026 An audacious, inventive debut and a cult classic in the making, from a thrilling new talent in fiction. Martha is a trans woman and the picture-perfect Los Angeles housewife, though she is concealing her identity even from her own husband. When she is struck down by a mysterious illness, she begins a series of bizarre experimental treatments that awaken strange new appetites in her and even leave her seemingly – impossibly – pregnant. Equal parts inventive, funny and compulsive, Carrying mixes the sensational body horror of The Substance with the transgressive camp comedy of John Waters in a style that’s all its own, and announces the arrival of a thrilling new talent in fiction. Last Best Quest Ever FT Lukens Genre: YA Romantasy Queer Rep: Non-Binary 0 7 May 2026 Seventeen-year-old Ellinore has the best questing record of anyone in the kingdom’s history. She also has a secret: her fame is built entirely on lies. Tired of the charade, she shocks the kingdom by retiring at a royal feast. But her plans for a quiet life are disrupted when her twin brother Zig bets his life that Ellinore can retrieve the horn of the mythical Elder Beast. To save Zig, she reluctantly sets out on one last, perilous quest. Accompanying her are Zig, determined to help despite his recklessness; Aven, her envious rival eager to prove their superiority; an ambitious bar maiden turned adventurer; and a young, magic-wielding bard. Together, they face an arduous journey fraught with mythical challenges and shifting alliances. As they search for the Elder Beast, Ellinore grapples with her growing feelings for Aven, her fear of losing Zig, and her identity as a reluctant hero. With time running out, Ellinore must confront not only the legendary creature but also her own truths. Can she save her brother, embrace her potential, and finally decide her path?    How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days Jessie Sylva Genre: Cosy Fantasy Rom-Com Queer Rep: Non-Binary, Queer Women 20 January 2026 How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days is a comfort read fantasy romance between a halfling and a goblin: imagine a classic opposites-attract romcom taking place in those cosy scenes in the hobbits' Shire from The Lord of the Rings. Expect magical forests, interfering wizards, lots of home cooking, and maybe even a kiss at the Harvest dance... When a halfling, Pansy, and a goblin, Ren, each think they've inherited the same cottage, they make a bargain: they'll live in the house together and whoever is driven out first forfeits their ownership. Amidst forced proximity and cultural misunderstandings, the two begin to fall in love. But when the cottage - and their communities - are threatened by a common enemy, the duo must learn to trust each other, and convince goblins and halflings to band together to oust the tall intruder. Leo Rising Archie Bongiovanni Genre: Adult Coming-Of-Age Graphic Novel Queer Rep: Trans & Non-Binary, Queer Women 19 February 2026 Lesbian influencer. Lifelong Alaskan. Part-time owl researcher. Leo Rising follows self-proclaimed “celesbian” Laura on a hilarious and heart-wrenching exploration of queer spaces, sexuality, and fame. After years of struggling for acceptance, Laura knows exactly who she is - or does she? By day, Laura thrives as the Internet’s lesbian bestie, a role model for thousands of followers worldwide, while working part-time at the Alaska Bird Observatory. But when an old friend returns to town and introduces Laura to queer parties and sex apps she’s never experienced, she starts questioning her gender and sexuality simultaneously. Seeking answers, Laura creates Leo, a secret trans identity. As Leo’s encounters become more and more steamy, Laura’s divergent identities collapse with real-world consequences. The Faithful Dark Cate Baumer Genre: Gothic Fantasy/Mystery Queer Rep: Trans Men, Asexual Women, Bisexual Men 19 February 2026 In a holy walled city where sin and sanctity are revealed through touch, Csilla - a girl born without a soul - is worth little to the Church that raised her. But when a series of murders corrodes the faithful magic that keep the city safe, the Church elders see a use for her she can assassinate their prime suspect, a heretic with divine heritage, without risking the stain of sin. The heretic, however, makes Csilla a clear his name by helping him catch the real killer, and he'll use his angelic gifts to grant her very own soul. Meanwhile, ruthless Ilan, desperate to earn back his position as Church Inquisitor, sees the case as his chance at he'll bring in the murderer - or, failing that, Csilla and the heretic - and regain his title. But as the death toll rises, and their hunt pits them against the all-powerful and callous Faith, Csilla finds herself torn. Will her salvation come at the cost of everything she believes in? Morsel Carter Keane Genre: Folk Horror Queer Rep: Agender 21 May 2026 Lou did what the children of parents with back-breaking, poor paying jobs are supposed to do; pulled up her bootstraps, went to college, and got an office job with coworkers who won’t stop talking about their multi-level marketing scheme disguised as self-betterment. Determined to lift her ill mother out of poverty before it's too late, and in the spirit of climbing the corporate ladder, Lou accepts an assignment in the rural hills of Ohio. She quickly finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a sabotaged truck, a dog she’s determined to keep safe, and something stalking her through the ancient Appalachian woods. If she can’t escape the woods in time, she’ll come face to face with the fact that her job isn’t the only thing that wants to eat her alive. BUUZA!! Vol. 1: Good Morning, Salwa Shazleen Khan Genre: YA Romance Graphic Novel Queer Rep: Trans Men, Queer Men, Queer Cast 25 Jun 2026 On New Year's Eve 1997, in the bustling city of Salwa, Zach, a down-on-his-luck phone operator, receives a misdialed call from a distressed man named Zhen which sparks an undeniable connection. Zach is thrown into a search for his mystery man that stretches across multiple cities and a tangled web of exes, missed connections, and frenemies. Set in the vibrant, low-fantasy realm of Dawlat Al-Harir - an eclectic melting pot inspired by Silk Road history and rich Asian and African Islamic cultures - BUUZA!! is a queer YA romance that features a uniquely dynamic blend of magical realism and political drama, with a richly diverse cast and an intricate plot that explores themes of identity, family, and transformation. This story will take readers on a captivating journey through a world where the divine and mundane collide in the most unexpected ways. Encore! Miles Toriko Burkes Genre: YA Romance Graphic Novel Queer Rep: Trans Men, Queer Men 18 June 2026 In this queer rom-com graphic novel for fans of  Heartstopper  and  Bloom,  two ex-best childhood friends reconnect again in high school only to discover they might be something more than friends.  Senior year is in full swing, and Clay’s determined to have a good year filled with friends, theater dreams, and newfound confidence. But when his ex–best friend, Aron, suddenly reappears in his life - and his theater class - it throws a wrench in all of Clay’s plans. Annoyingly, the two are paired up during an improv exercise, and being vulnerable together onstage swirls up all sorts of old, complicated feelings. Even more annoyingly, Aron is acting like there’s nothing weird or confusing about being back in each other’s orbits again. Which is ironic, since Aron was the one who ghosted Clay in the first place. As their class assignment continues and they spend more and more time together, Clay isn’t sure he can keep his old feelings buried. But can he trust Aron again, after everything they’ve been through? Think we've missed something great? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌