10 New Trans Books Out in 2026 to Preorder Now

Dan Moran has made it: his autofictional trans novel was published, and he’s teaching writing while he works on his new psychological thriller. But when he receives a mislabelled envelope with a photo of his dead brother inside, he decides to play detective, returning to his estranged family’s home to investigate. Instead of the information he sought about his brother, though, he finds uncomfortable truths about the gap between how we view ourselves and how others view us. This promises to be “an existential noir, an absurd comedy, a complex character study, and a heartbreaking inquiry into the paradox of identity, memory, and the very enterprise of writing fiction.”

This trans romantasy is a mash-up of Sailor Moon, Sex and the City, and House of Leaves—what more could you want? It’s the classic story: “She was a trans girl who was also an intergalactic moth-goddess. He was a trans guy who piloted a giant robotic tiger.” They had a tumultuous enemies-to-lovers romance before their universes diverged. Now, he’s back, and Acrasia will stop at nothing to keep him in her life—even if it means endangering both their worlds.

In 2019, Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir Gender Queer was published, which follows eir experience growing up asexual and nonbinary. As book bans rose across the U.S. in 2020 onwards, it became a target: Gender Queer was the #1 most challenged book in the country in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and it was the second most challenged book in 2024.

In May, we’re getting an updated version of this story: Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition. This edition includes 40 more pages of content, a new cover, exclusive art, a foreword by ND Stevenson, and more.

The original pages are accompanied by annotations from 16 different contributors, including comics scholars, queer and trans cartoonists, and people who appear in the book, like Maia Kobabe’s sibling.

Kobabe has another book out this year, too: Opting Out, a middle grade graphic novel illustrated by Swati “Lucky” Srikumar.

Do you love riotously original novels that make you feel like nothing will ever be the same after you read it? Then get ready to have your brains melted by this incredible debut. It’s about Yara, who receives a message from God, telling them they need to slay one of the Earth’s Bad Guys. Not one to question a missive from above for too long, Yara strikes a deal and sets off on their assignment. Meanwhile a downcast prophet with a hidden power is hoping to get in good with the man upstairs and carries out her own plan. So prepare yourself: Canon is a mind-bending adventure about life, death, and fate that will ruin your life, in the best way. —Liberty Hardy

(I love that the UK cover of this one features the repeating text “a non-binary epic”.)

This is the follow-up to The Call-Out, a novel in verse “tragicomedy of manners” about a queer and trans femme friend group in Brooklyn. The Dinner Party picks up “post-pandemic,” where they organize dinner parties and an arcadian pageant, navigate the obstacle course of baby-making as queer and trans couples, and upkeep friendships in letters. This is a “book about love,” as the subtitle says, and there are eight love poems included.

Jasper Sanchez is the author of The (Un)popular Vote, and now he’s back with another queer YA book! Eli’s summer job at a roadside tourist trap of a museum is objectively terrible, but he’s just glad he has a way to save up for a down payment on top surgery. That possibility is threatened by his coworker and school rival Efraín, who is trying to unionize the staff. Inititally, Eli reluctantly goes along, but he soon sees the value in what they’re doing. When management gets suspicious, he has to decide whether to stand by his convictions and the boy he’s falling for—even if it means putting his chance at top surgery at risk.

Gayathiri Kamalakanthan is a poet and playwright (Period Parrrty), and this is their debut novel. This YA verse-novel is about Surya, a nonbinary teen whose coming out was a non-even with their queer parents and best friend. But when they fall for a boy, they begin to question whether he really sees them authentically. This promises to be a “love letter to queer futures,” and it’s beautifully illustrated throughout.

I was delighted to learn that C. L. Polk, author of Even Though I Knew the End and Witchmark, has a queer romantasy book out this year that’s an official D&D novel! Saeldian is a con artist whose magic comes from a pact to never fall in love. Their latest job is to steal “The Kiss of Enduring Love” gem and return it to the feywild. But things get more complicated when Saeldian learns their ex, Kell, is part of the team. Working together reignites sparks between them, but they also learn that this heist has higher stakes than they were led to believe. I can’t wait to read this cozy romantasy heist story set in the feywild!

This trans romance novel is the newest book from the author of I Wish You All the Best, The Feeling of Falling in Love, and many more! Owen and Jacob are exes who end up stuck together on a seven-day cruise to Alaska with their friends. Owen agrees to try to be friends with the guy who broke his heart, if only to dial down the awkwardness of being trapped in a small space. Between the beautiful Alaskan landscape and cruise-mandated activities, though, Owen feels himself falling all over again.

The graveyard gays are back! It’s been almost six years since Aiden Thomas first introduced us to Yadriel and Julian (and my fave, Maritza, a real one). This fall, we’re headed back to the graveyard in Espíritu, which follows Julian as he navigates life post sacrificial ritual. Things are mostly pretty sweet—except for the part where he sees shadows in his eyes, glowing eyes in the dark, and these ominous dark spots on people that no one can explain. There’s also a mysterious new nonbinary bruje in the mix, one who Julian is drawn to but Yadriel is looking at with some side eye for their cutthroat approach to brujeria. Let’s gooooo. —Vanessa Diaz