Staff Picks: Our 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2025
Every year when I write about the state of queer books for Them, I find myself trying to sell you on the concept of reading itself. Books! Remember those things? They can transport you into another life, another way of being, or even another universe — and they’re pretty cheap! In fact, if you get them at your local library, they’re even free! Think about how good turning a physical page feels as opposed to idly sliding through your social media feed as the algorithm feeds you an infinite supply of low-quality slop. Books are edifying and they end. You get to finish a story and savor it. Isn’t that beautiful? Plus, if you’ve been in a slump, or you haven’t picked up a paperback in a while, the good news is that books have never been queerer.In 2025 alone, we’re getting lesbian vampires, a queer coming-of-age basketball romance, and a book called — yes, I promise this is a real title — Disco Witches of Fire Island. Even as LGBTQ+ storylines get cut from TV, not to mention the cancellation of so many beloved shows, publishing has continued to put out quite a lot of fantastic queer literature. And at the risk of switching into full-on LeVar Burton mode, all you have to do is use a little thing called your imagination to bring it to life. If you really want to spend another year of your life glued to a screen, we’ve got you covered with the movies and TV shows we’re anticipating in 2025.Below, find our most anticipated books of 2025, featuring new releases from Torrey Peters, Ocean Vuong, Denne Michele Norris, and more. — Samantha AllenHungerstone by Kat Dunn — February 18Hungerstone by Kat DunnOne of the earliest works of vampire fiction was a novella published in 1872 — before Bram Stoker’s Dracula, thank you very much — called Carmilla, named for the sapphic vampire at the center of the story. In fact, literary historians believe the canonical Dracula borrowed or plagiarized tropes from the novella as source material. Kat Dunn’s forthcoming Hungerstone is a reimagining of Carmilla and it looks very much like it will be the lesbian vampire novel we need over a century and a half after Carmilla came into the world. The story is about a woman named Lenore, who is married to, but increasingly distant from, her husband, a steel magnate. A carriage accident brings Lenore into contact with the mysterious Carmilla and, well, we can all imagine what follows! — Sally TamarkinWoodworking by Emily St. James — March 4Woodworking by Emily St. JamesI will be diving into this debut novel from writer and critic Emily St. James with absolute gusto. Woodworking tells the story of 35-year-old Erica Skyberg, who lives in a small town in South Dakota and has recently come out as trans. She forms an unlikely friendship with the only out trans student at the high school where she teaches, 17-year-old Abigail Hawkes. The book is told in alternating POV chapters and delves into the relationships between these two characters and their broader community. As a longtime fan of St. James’ criticism, this book is a must-read for me. — Sally TamarkinStag Dance by Torrey Peters — March 11Stag Dance by Torrey PetersEver buy something at the supermarket and the sticker advertises 30% more? That’s the vibe Stag Dance is giving: Torrey Peters’ follow-up to the widely acclaimed Detransition, Baby includes a trans-themed novel about a lumberjack dance … but wait, there’s more! It also includes not one, not two, but three short stories, each with a downright delicious premise, especially “The Masker” about a crossdresser at a crossroads during a weekend in Vegas. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth with this one, and knowing how stellar Peters is on the page, it’ll be more than filling. — Samantha AllenMake Sure You Die Screaming by Zee Carlstrom — April 8Make Sure You Die Screaming by Zee CarlstromI will be reading Zee Carlstrom’s debut novel Make Sure You Die Screaming as soon as I can get my hands on it. The book is about an unnamed nonbinary narrator who has recently burned out of corporate America and embarks on a road trip in a stolen car to find their conspiracy-theorist father. The vibes are topical, gonzo, and chaotic. I can’t wait. — Sally TamarkinWhen the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris — April 15When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele NorrisElectric Literature editor-in-chief Denne Michele Norris made history in 2021 as the first Black trans woman to run a major literary publication, and her fiction — which you can read more of here — has long impressed. I’m so excited that her debut novel When the Harvest Comes has almost, well, come, even though the summary sounds like it’s going to break my heart. The novel follows a young gay Black man named Davis who finds out at his wedding reception that his estranged father has been in a car accident, prompting a deeply personal reckoning. This novel is less the arrival of a major talent and more the confirmation of one we should all already be reading. Don’t miss it. — Samantha AllenDisco Witches of Fire Island by Blair Fell — May 6Disco Witches of Fire Island by Blair FellThey tell you not to judge a book by its cover, and certainly not by its title alone. I am asking you to do the opposite of that. This book is called Disco Witches of Fire Island. I repeat: This book is called Disco Witches of Fire Island. If I didn’t have to write this blurb, I would go in with absolutely zero foreknowledge based on that alone. But in the spirit of offering a teaser, Blair Fell’s novel follows two best friends who spend the summer of 1989 at the titular gay vacation destination only to fall in with some strange house cleaners who turn out to be part of a coven. I love everything about the premise and I can’t wait to see the execution. — Samantha AllenA Sharp Endless Need by Marisa Crane — May 13A Sharp Endless Need by Marisa CraneAs a basketball fan, I love when the sport finds its way into fiction, especially when the story is in the hands of someone who really knows ball. Crane is, in fact, a former college basketball player and their second novel is about a star high-school point guard Mack Morris and her situationship with new teammate Liv. A queer coming-of-age novel that centers basketball? The only time I’m more seated is at a Sixers game. — Sally TamarkinThe Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong — May 13The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean VuongIf you have been longing for more fiction from Ocean Vuong, whose debut novel, 2019’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, is certainly one of the most beautifully heartbreaking books I have ever read, you will be pleased to know that Spring 2025 will bring us the poet’s second novel, The Emperor of Gladness. The book follows 19-year-old Hai who is close to suicide when an encounter with an elderly widow takes him on a different path. I am already preparing myself for more of Vuong’s heart-rending prose.— Sally TamarkinDisappoint Me by Nicola Dinan — May 27Disappoint Me by Nicola DinanI haven’t yet read Nicola Dinan, whose debut novel, Bellies, won a clutch of prizes and accolades. But I certainly won’t miss Disappoint Me, a book about a 30-year-old trans woman named Max, who is both a published poet and lawyer. After sustaining an injury on New Year’s Eve, Max decides to change her life. She soon falls into a relationship with a corporate lawyer named Vincent and takes a stab at a more traditional, heteronormative life. This book promises an engaging and insightful look at relationships, exploring the kind of growing up you do when you are already an adult. — Sally TamarkinNice Girls Don’t Win by Parvati Shallow — July 8Nice Girls Don’t Win by Parvati ShallowMany reality television stars flit across our television screens in a flash and are just as quickly forgotten. Survivor legend and Traitors headband icon Parvati Shallow has accomplished something remarkable, carving out — and maintaining — a place in the public consciousness for nearly 20 years. They simply don’t make villains like her anymore, but the Parvati we saw on our screens barely scratched the surface of who she is. Shallow’s memoir promises a glimpse at the trauma, loss, and personal growth that we didn’t get to see on Survivor. Fittingly, this one comes out in July — perfect for reading on a beach between scavenger hunts for immunity idols. — Samantha AllenGet the best of what’s queer. Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here.
