Hi Reader,

I am so excited to launch Between the Margins in Pride month of all months! I wanted a space to celebrate queer stories and voices, shining a light on books that linger long after the final page. Thank you so much for being here and being part of this community.

I've been reading a lot of gothic sapphic books recently, I'm loving their rise in mainstream popularity. Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil was a recent standout for those interested. There's a few more coming out this month, so if those are your cup of tea too you're in for a treat!

To celebrate Pride and Between the Margin's launch, our inaugral newsletter will shine a light on some of my favourite (but under-appreciated) queer books, feature a full review of The Heirs, and highlight 15 incredible queer books releasing in June.

Enjoy,

Amy | @proseamongstthorns

Speed Review

The Mars House Listen, how could you not want a book with talking mammoths in space? A beautiful slow-burn with characters you cannot forget. You cannot go wrong with Natasha Pulley - this one is bizarre and wonderful in equal measure. Grab a copy Get the audio

The Sun-Blessed Prince The first in a completed YA duology where some are born with the power to heal with a touch and others with the power to kill. There's political tension, a cast of queer characters and the most wonderful relationships. Including an exquisite slow-burn. Grab a copy Get the audio

Mortal Follies Prepare to laugh out loud, a lot. Narrated by Robin, a hobgoblin who can't help but intefere with the humans he watches. The first in this series focuses on a sapphic love story that feels straight out of Bridgerton with a magical twist. Grab a copy Get the audio

These Violent Delights This is everything I wanted The Secret History to be. A queer, dark academia with heavy emphasis on the dark. Filled with an unflinching honesty, thrilling and oozing with wrongness. I still can't believe I don't see this book everywhere. Grab a copy Get the audio

Medusa of the Roses Anjir and Zal are in love. But Iran isn't a forgiving place for gay men. When Zal is attacked, Anjir decides to transition, so they can live together as man and wife in another city. A love story of vengeance and desire, this one made me cry, the last line is beautifully haunting and this book reads like poetry. Grab a copy

The Needfire An atmospheric gothic horror. Norah flees her mistakes in Glasgow for a marriage of convenience and a chance for freedom. But something is very wrong in Corrain House. Her only possible companion, the housekeeper Agnes Gunn, is by turns unnerving and alluring, and harbours uncanny secrets of her own. Grab a copy Get the audio

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé - Feature review

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Nothing brings a family together like a murder. If you're looking for a queer-normative, YA murder mystery then you need to get your hands on Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé's latest book.

Five heirs, each a prodigy in their own right (apart from Romeo 'The Failure' Button). Adopted and trained by infamous billionare Leontes Button, they've had no choice but to be brilliant.

One dead father. At their father's 10th annual Prodigy Ball, Leontes Button is murdered. One thing is clear: everyone at the ball had reason to want him dead. After all, their father was especially good at making enemies.

This book is a thrilling page-turner, one of thosee books that feels impossible to put down. Faridah is the queen of twists and turns, so prepare to be strapped in right from page one. No matter where you expect this to go, I guarantee at least one thing will surprise you.

Our Heirs are truly fascinating characters, each complex and each responding to their... unusual upbringing in different ways. The revolving POVs help add real depth to a story that mostly plays out in 24 hours.

One of the things I love in a book with queer representation is for it not to be a huge plot point. For a long time, every mainstream LGBTQ+ book centred on coming out and finding yourself. Those stories are wonderful and so needed, but sometimes we want to read a good old YA thriller and see ourselves in those pages too. This book features queer characters with ease, it isn't a point of friction for any of them. We see both bi and gay characters being bad-asses in this book.

A rollercoaster of twists and turns with secrets, lies, murder and money, The Heirs is The Inheritance Games meets Knives Out. Follow the lives of the ridiculously talented and wealthy, solve a murder and untangle a web of lies in this YA thriller.

Upcoming Releases

9th June This rockstar romance has been described as Taylor Swift in book form. Get a copy Get the audio

2nd June A gothic novel where the working class witch sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress and loses her heart. Get a copy Get the audio

23rd June Two former best friends are forced to fake date on their favorite reality show. Get a copy Get the audio

The Queer Bookshelf: A Reader's Guide - Layla McCay 4th June This non-fiction is perfect for anyone beginning or deepening their own queer reading adventure. ​

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones - Lex Croucher 9th June Croucher's first adult novel is about the person who didn't get into the magic school. ​​

16th June The ex-God Hades and current undertaker falls for a florist with an infectious smile in this romance novel. Get a copy

16th June A group of disco-loving outcasts navigate a USA sliding into facism in this queer sci-fi. Get a copy Get the audio

18th June This is one for the Our Flags Mean Death fans. Who hasn't impulsively become a pirate? Get a copy Get the audio

It Ends with Her - Anthology 5th June Love blooms as swiftly as it devours. A sapphic horror anthology of sapphic yearning and tragedy. ​

Rottenheart - Kat Dunn 4th June Sapphic Hamlet retelling anyone? Horror meets historical fiction. ​

2nd June Stardew Valley meets Studio Ghibli in this cozy fantasy. Get a copy Get the audio

1st June A modern, chaotic retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Get a copy Get the audio

1st June Queer coming-of-age romantic comedy graphic novel. Get a copy

The Open Era - Edward Schmit 2nd June A pro tennis player navigates the pressures of being the first openly gay man at a Grand Slam in this sport romance. ​​

The Double Dutch Fuss - Phill Branch 2nd June This memoir recounts growing up under the heavy burden of expectation - to be a boy, to be Black, and to be queer. ​

Marginal notes

Pulling this together has done some major damage to my bank account. I'd love to know which titles stood out to you, were there any you couldn't resist? Feel free to respond to this newsletter or reach out on our social channels!

I have a copy of The Unmagical Life of Briar Rose and One Knight Stand (I'm a sucker for a lady knight) on their way and I am SO excited for them. I've popped three books I'm hoping to read this month below. What book are you excited for this month?

Thank you again for being part of this community. I cannot wait to grow with you all! If you know a book lover who'd be interested in joining, we'd love to have them join.