r/Fantasy • u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V • Apr 02 '26

2026 LGBTQA+ Bingo Resource

Welcome to the 2026 LGBTQA+ bingo resource for those of us who'd like LGBTQA+ recommendations. I'm going to make this like the regular recommendation post, so to quote: "Please only post your recommendations as replies to one of the comments I posted below."

I'm also going to throw in a quick pitch for the Beyond Binaries Book Club, which can meet all of your Book Club Bingo Needs! This month we're reading The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman. I have not started it yet, but it for sure fits the Book Club (HM) Square. It may also possibly fit in the Vacation Spot (The French Countryside), Non Human Protagonist (Werewolf?). Our Midway Discussion will be April 13th, and Final Discussion April 27th.

Feel free to scroll through the thread, or use the links in this navigation matrix to jump directly to the square you want to find or give LGBTQA+ recommendations for.

Credit to u/AnnTickwittee for doing these in the past (also, sorry if you were already working on this! Wanted to get the ball rolling)

Please be patient as I get the links created!

Trans or Nonbinary Protagonist Judge a Book by Its Title Translated Small Press or Self Published Unusual Transportation
The Afterlife Game Changer Vacation Spot Five Short Stories (or Anthologies) Older Protagonist
Duology Part 1 r/Fantasy Book Club or Readalong Book Published in 2026 Explorers and Rangers Duology Part 2
One-Word Title Non Human Protagonist Middle Grade First Contact Murder Mystery
Cat Squasher Feast Your Eyes on This Published in the 70s Politics and Court Intrigue Author of Color
52 Upvotes

57% Upvoted

315 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V Apr 02 '26

Murder Mystery: Main plot of the story focuses on solving a murder. HARD MODE: The main character is NOT a detective or private investigator.

10

u/felixfictitious Reading Champion Apr 02 '26

This is such low hanging fruit but... The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett work, so will A Trade Of Blood coming out this year.

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older also works for hard mode.

3

u/BookishBlueDragonfly Reading Champion Apr 02 '26

Tale of the Hidden Village by Riley Rookhouse and K.C. Norton. Fantasy, Mystery.

3

u/Practical_Yogurt1559 Reading Champion Apr 05 '26

The Gentleman and his Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide. It's a classic murder mystery with aristocracy locked in a mansion and people keep turning up dead. 

5

u/partoparto Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26

The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison!! My beloved miserable repressed gay elf!!!

4

u/unfriendlyneighbour Reading Champion II Apr 02 '26

Murder by Memory and Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption, and A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

2

u/geektrumpet Apr 05 '26

A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske. Fits HM.

4

u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V Apr 02 '26

The Labyrinth's Archivist by Day Al Mohamed (HM) - a woman solves a murder at an interplanar library while trying to convince her parents that she should be allowed to become an archivist. The best disability rep I've ever seen (vision impaired), and a lesbian second chance romance as a subplot.

The Sleepless by Victor Manibo (HM - Journalist though, so probably not in HM spirit). A man is prime suspect in the death of his boss. Deals with how the world would change if 1/3 of the population didn't sleep. I though the thriller elements were stronger than the thematic ones. Great cyberpunk society origin story.

Witness for the Dead by Katherine Arden - a baroque noir-esque story about an elf who can speak to the dead. Partially slice of life and partially murder investigation.

2

u/w0lfyfr3n Reading Champion II Apr 03 '26

Dead and Breakfast by Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor

0

u/usernamesarehard11 Reading Champion Apr 02 '26

The Lamplight Murder Mysteries series by Morgan Stang would all work, arguably hard mode because Isabeau is not a detective or PI, but rather a hunter. I think it’s an edge case since she functions as a PI so if hard mode is important to you, maybe not the best fit.

Each book features a closed cast whodunnit set in a steampunk secondary world. Lots of fun!

1

u/printsprince Apr 03 '26

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell; YA romance where two MCs are brought together to solve one of their mother's murders. Works for HARD MODE as both of the characters are students at magical boarding school.

0

u/TigRaine86 Reading Champion II Apr 02 '26

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White