PRIDE GRAPHIC NOVELS 2026
Here's my recommendations for this year! Pick them up at your local bookstore or public library!
Forgive-Me-Not - Mari Costa
Aisling is many things to many people: princess, heir to the throne, teenage daughter of two loving parents… She’s also about to learn a lot more about herself: changeling. Fey creature. Hunted. Feared. Loved? Forgive-Me-Not is the name given to the true princess — the lost teenage biological daughter to the king and queen, who’s grown up in the chaotic and untrustworthy realm of Faerie. When Forgive-Me-Not breaks into Aisling’s room the night before their 18 th birthday looking for revenge, the two embark on a long and arduous journey. And what starts as a confrontational and adversarial pairing grows into a bond of mutual understanding, friendship, and maybe something more…
The Pale Queen: A Graphic Novel - Ethan M. Aldridge
Agatha has always dreamed of the stars. But when a chance encounter introduces her to the Lady of the Hills, Agatha is shocked to learn that a secret magical world lays hidden in the mist-shrouded land next to her village. She finds herself quickly captivated by the Lady, but is the Lady who she appears to be?
As Agatha forms a new friendship with a girl in town, she learns that the Lady is far older and more powerful than she could've guessed and that her plans aren't as innocent as they appear. Will Agatha be able to protect the people she loves from the Lady's sinister agenda?
Just Between Us: A Graphic Novel - Adeline Kon
Lydia Chen knows how good she is on the ice. Technically perfect, she’s been the one to beat since her debut years ago. Except now, something is missing in her performances—a spark that’s been gone for a while. Between the constant training, appealing to sponsors to fund her, and the pressure to perform, Lydia’s passion for skating has disappeared. When her rival Elaine Yee starts training at the same rink, Lydia’s struck by the emotion in Elaine’s routines and unwillingly finds herself getting closer to her as they compete for a spot in the Olympics. As the tension between them comes to a head, Lydia’s about to find out how a competitor can become an ally and figure out how to feel alive on the ice again.
I Wanna Be Your Girl, Vol. 1 - Umi Takase (4 Volumes)
Hime and Akira have been friends since they were little kids. At age 12, Akira reveals to Hime that Akira is actually a girl at heart. She begins to dress like a girl and is bullied and harassed at school. Hime will not stand for it, and begins to dress as a boy in support of the friend she loves. Of course, this means their troubles at school are only just beginning.
Steam - Shaenon K. Garrity & Emily Holden (Illustrator)
Ruby is a genius humanoid who was grown in a secret lab at the local university, created to solve science’s greatest problems. But Ruby suspects she can’t fulfill her function while trapped inside, so she breaks out. Now living among humans, Ruby attempts to lie low and fit in as a barista at the university coffeehouse, Inkcap. Working there gives her plenty of opportunity to figure out what problems people need solving. And as far as she can tell, most humans’ biggest problem is struggling to find happiness. And what makes them happy? Love! So, Ruby uses her superpowered brain to play cupid. As Ruby sets to work pairing up the staff and regulars at Inkcap, she feels more and more human she’s got a community now, maybe even a crush. But the lab believes she’s dangerous, and it wants her back. When pursuing her own happiness leads Ruby straight into a trap, she’ll need her new motley crew of coffeehouse friends to save her from the scientist who only want to use her.
Red and the Wolves: A Graphic Novel - Cherry Zong
Red, a fiercely loyal hunter, has dedicated her life to protecting her witch Grand Mother. Monsters have been roaming the forest that they call home, bringing forth a mysterious illness that has devastated the land and chased every living soul away. Until Red stumbles upon an injured wolf-girl named Sil.
Red is cautiously optimistic to befriend someone new, but the more their relationship deepens, the more she begins to uncover the sinister truths behind everything she’s ever known.
Red must make the difficult decision of who to defend, before catastrophe consumes them all. This graphic novel that's an apocalyptic fantasy meets queer love story turns the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairytale on its head.
Rebis - Irene Marchesini & Carlotta Dicataldo
Born with paper-white skin, Martino is an outcast. To the villagers, albinism is more than a curiosity―it’s a curse. Bullied and shunned, Martino seeks refuge in the deep woods―and finds it in Viviana. Powerful and beautiful, Viviana belongs to a sisterhood of outcast women. Martino is welcomed into the fold and, drawing on the magic of the forest, is reborn. In Rebis, Italian duo Irene Marchesini and Carlotta Dicataldo deliver a medieval fantasy steeped in mystery―a haunting and hopeful tale of transformation and found family.
I Shall Never Fall in Love - Hari Conner
George has major problems: They’ve just inherited the failing family estate, and the feelings for their best friend, Eleanor, have become more complicated than ever. Not to mention, if anyone found out they were secretly dressing in men’s clothes, George is sure it would be ruination for the family name. Eleanor has always wanted to do everything "right," including falling in love—but she’s never met a boy she was interested in. She’d much rather spend time with her best friend, George, and beloved cousin Charlotte. However, when a new suitor comes to town, she finds her closest friendships threatened, forcing her to rethink what "right" means and confront feelings she never knew she had. Inspired by Jane Austen and queer history, I Shall Never Fall in Love shines a light on what it means to be true to yourself and rewrites the rules for what makes a happily ever after.
