S.B. Milne

The Lambda Literary Awards are one of those programs I keep a close eye on every year, scouring the list of finalists for new authors to discover (or old favorites to celebrate all over again). Every reader has their own tastes, of course, but these are the finalists that have earned a place on my TBR this year:

• LESBIAN FICTION: Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash: For readers of Donna Tartt and Ottessa Moshfegh comes a brilliant, deliriously entertaining novel from the acclaimed author of Honor Girl. Rainbow Black is part murder mystery, part gay international fugitive love story—set against the ’90s Satanic Panic and spanning 20 years in the life of a young woman pulled into its undertow.

• LESBIAN ROMANCE: Loving Safoa by Liza Wemakor: When schoolteacher Cynthia gets a tattoo at a block party in 1991 Flatbush, she doesn’t realize she’s embarking on a life-changing romance with an immortal Ghanaian vampire. Cynthia’s affair with Safoa weaves together stories from nineteenth century Ghana, late twentieth century New York and a near future reality in Maryland that defies the utopian/dystopian binary.
• LESBIAN ROMANCE: Outlaw Hearts by Lori G. Matthew: Outlaw Hearts is a thrilling lesbian romance set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Wild West, where love proves to be the most dangerous adventure of all.

• LGBTQ+ ANTHOLOGY: We Mostly Come Out at Night edited by Rob Costello: An empowering cross-genre YA anthology that explores what it means to be a monster, exclusively highlighting trans and queer authors who offer new tales and perspectives on classic monster stories and tropes. 
• LGBTQ+ ROMANCE AND EROTICA: Leather, Lace and Locs by Anne Shade: a wonderful book that works on so many different levels. It’s a story of gender (female and nonbinary), race (Women of Color), relationships (families, friendships, and lovers), ambition (personal and professional), sexuality (lesbian and bisexual), and more. Read my review for more!

• LGBTQ+ SPECULATIVE FICTION: Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle: The instant USA Today bestseller by Chuck Tingle about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead. Named one of the Best Horror Books of 2024 (Esquire, Parade, and Library Journal)! A Locus Award Finalist!
• LGBTQ+ SPECULATIVE FICTION: Metal From Heaven by August Clarke: For fans of The Princess Bride and Gideon the Ninth: a bloody lesbian revenge tale and political fantasy set in a glittering world transformed by industrial change – and simmering class warfare.

• TRANSGENDER FICTION: Love the World or Get Killed Trying by Alvina Chamberland: Through playful poetic prose, sharp social commentary and self-deprecating gallows humor LOVE THE WORLD OR GET KILLED TRYING dives into the mind of Alvina, a trans woman on the eve of turning 30.

Check out the full list of finalists here.