Hello and welcome back to Diversishelf!
This week’s issue is not as gargantuan as the other May ones, but I noticed that it features several titles containing trans representation, which is always wonderful to see. The trans community continues to suffer attacks at the hands of legislators, the public, and hateful individuals - sometimes very literally, like in the case of our wonderful sister Juniper Blessing, who was taken from us way too soon by the hateful violence of a pitiful man. Please be careful when looking up information about her death, as the details of her murder and the communications following it are incredibly upsetting, especially to other trans people.
Our community is stronger than this hate. Our thoughts are with Juniper and those who knew her and loved her for who she really was, and to all the trans people whose lives are prematurely ended, even when we never learn their names.
We hope you can find some solace in community and in the wonderful art that queer people and our allies create and share with the world.
Some of these books contain sensitive themes. Please check content warnings before purchasing and reading these titles.
We use affiliate links. This means that if you buy a book through a link we provide, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores. This allows us to keep Diversishelf free at no cost to you, while still generating some revenue.
Can’t see the whole email? Click here to read this on our website (no logins needed)!
Tarantula by Eduardo Halfon - Out 05 Mar 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Literary Fiction, Translated, Guatemalan author, Jewish author, Guatemalan representation
Our Dining Table: Seconds, Please! Vol. 2 by Mita Ori - Out 12 May 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Manga, Achillean representation, Japanese author, Japanese representation
Eternal Covenant, Vol. 4 by Haejin - Out 19 May 26 US
Info & Order - US link
Tags: Manhwa, Achillean representation, Korean author, Translated
Plastic, Prism, Void by Violet Allen - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Fantasy, Trans representation, Trans author
Attention Seeking Behavior by Aea Varfis-van Warmelo - Out 07 May 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Literary Fiction, British Greek author
Queerleaders by Olivia A. Cole and Ashley Woodfolk - Out 28 Jan 27 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: YA Romance, Nonbinary author, sapphic representation, Black American author, interracial relationship representation
Second Helpings by Dylan Morrison - Out 19 May 26 US
Info & Order - US link
Tags: Romance, Achillean representation, queer author, trans author
Take Me With You by Steven Rowley - Out 19 May 26 US
Info & Order - US link
Tags: Literary Fiction, Achillean representation, Achillean author
Tags: Horror, Sapphic representation, sapphic author, debut author, Mexican American author
The Fake Divination Offense by Sara Raasch - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Romantasy, Bisexual author, achillean representation
Running Home to You by Samantha Saldivar - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Romance, Sapphic representation, sapphic author, Latin American author, Latin American representation
The Body Riddle by Sam K MacKinnon - Out 02 Jul 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Literary Fiction, Nonbinary representation, polyamorous representation, queer author, trans author
Canon by Paige Lewis - Out 02 Jul 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Literary Fiction, Nonbinary author, nonbinary representation
Crime Fictions: How Racist Lies Built a System of Mass Wrongful Conviction by Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Political Nonfiction, Latin American author, anti-racism themes, abolition themes, disability representation
Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots - Out 02 Jul 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Science Fiction, Queer representation, neurodivergent representation
The Color of Time by Millie Abecassis - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Science Fiction, Lesbian representation, queer author
Eat Bitter: A Story About Guts and Food by Lydia Pang - Out 14 May 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Memoir, Chinese author, Chinese representation, debut author
The Lustrous Dark by Loretta Chefchaouni - Out 24 Aug 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: YA Fantasy, Muslim author, anti-patriarchy themes, debut author
Our Minds Were Always Free: A History of How Black Brilliance Was Exploited—and the Fight to Retake Control by Lisa E. Davis - Out 18 Jun 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Political Nonfiction, Black American author, Black American representation, anti-racism themes
Pot Shot by Laura Piper Lee - Out 11 Jun 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Romance, Chronic illness representation, queer author
Shapes of Love by L. V. Peñalba - Out 19 May 26 US
Info & Order - US link
Tags: Young Adult, Aroace representation, nonbinary author, debut author
The Place Between Our Pains: A Memoir of What Joy Can Survive by KJ Ramsey - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Memoir , Chronic illness representation
Score by Kennedy Ryan - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Romance, Black American author, bisexual representation, Black American representation
Violent Phenomena: Essays Toward the Future of Literary Translation by Kavita Bhanot, Jeremy Tiang - Out 28 Jul 22 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Political Nonfiction, BIPOC authors, anti-colonialism themes, nonbinary author, queer author
An Expanse of Blue by Kauakanilehua Magoe Adams - Out 16 Jul 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Young Adult, Native Hawaiian author, debut author, Native Hawaiian representation
All Us Saints by Katherine Packert Burke - Out 19 May 26 US
Info & Order - US link
Tags: Literary Fiction, Transfemme author, transfemme representation, anti-transphobia themes, sapphic representation
On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward - Out 02 Jul 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Political Nonfiction, Black American author, anti-racism themes
Race, Law, and Speculative Fiction: Future Pasts by Isiah Lavender III - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Political Nonfiction, Black American author, anti-racism themes
Double Happiness by Heather Eng - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Romance, Chinese American author, debut author
Something on Your Mind by George Morris De'Ath - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Horror, Queer author
The House of Now and Then by Edward Underhill - Out 04 Jun 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Romance, Transmasc author, trans representation, Achillean representation, queer author
All Them Dogs by Djamel White - Out 26 Mar 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Literary Fiction, Queer representation, debut author, Irish author, anti-patriarchy themes, substance abuse representation, class consciousness themes
Narrow Rooms by Choi Sungmin - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Graphic Novel, Translated, Korean author
Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel by Arushi Avachat - Out 15 Jun 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Young Adult, South Asian American author, South Asian American representation
A Star-Cursed Heart by Annie Mare - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Romance, Sapphic representation, nonbinary author
Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla - Out 19 May 26 US
Info & Order - US link
Tags: Literary Fiction, Mexican-Egyptian author, debut author, class consciousness themes
Keeper of My Kin: Memoir of an Immigrant Daughter by Ada Ferrer - Out 18 Jun 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Memoir, Cuban American author, immigrant representation
Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni - Out 28 Apr 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Romantasy, Mauritian author
Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow - Out 19 May 26
Tags: Romantasy, Chinese Australian author
Self-Worth by Emma Tholozan - Out 09 Apr 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Literary Fiction, Translated, French author, debut author, class consciousness themes
Glyph by Ali Smith - Out 29 Jan 26 UK/19 May 26 US
Tags: Literary Fiction, Scottish author, queer author
Miss Woodhouse and Miss Fairfax by Maisie Jardelle - Out 20 May 26 US
Info & Order - US link
Tags: Historical Fiction , Sapphic representation
From the Clinic to the Streets: Psychoanalysis for Revolutionary Futures by Lara Sheehi - Out 20 May 26
Tags: Political Nonfiction, Arab author, queer author, pro-Palestine author, anti-capitalism
The Other A in LGBTQIA+: An Introduction to the Aromantic Community, in Our Own Words by The Aromantic-spectrum Union for Recognition, Education, and Advocacy - Out 21 May 26
Tags: Nonfiction, Aromantic rep, aromantic authors
In Your Court by Kit Haley - Out 21 May 26
Tags: Romance, Achillean representation, queer author
The War for Heaven by Isaac Grisham - Out 21 May 26
Tags: Fantasy, Queer representation, queer author
The Dinner Party by Cat Fitzpatrick - Out 21 May 26 UK/26 May 26 US
Tags: Literary Fiction, Transfemme author, trans representation
The Talk of the Party by Foluso Agbaje - Out 21 May 26 UK
Info & Order - UK link
Tags: Thriller, British-Nigerian author, Nigerian representation
Chiquitita by Pedro Carmona-Alvarez - Out 14 May 26 UK
Info & Order - UK link
Tags: Literary Fiction, Translated, refugee representation, Chilean author
Andromeda by E.S. McLeod - Out 14 May 26 UK
Info & Order - UK link
Tags: Historical Fiction, Black American author, Black American representation, bisexual representation, sapphic representation
Thank you for reading all the way to the end of the issue! Thoughts? Comments? Or simply want to keep in touch? Email us at [email protected], or find us at @diversishelf on Instagram. The next issue will be out on Monday, May 25. In the meantime, why not reach out with a comment, or share this with your friends?