The last week of the year is the perfect week to curl up with a good book! It's getting colder, the holidays are pretty much over, and likely, work has slowed down until after the new year. Novellas are the perfect bite-sized type of book that you can finish during the week and pair perfectly with a steaming mug of hot cocoa!

Here are five queer novellas we think you'll love!

A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers

This series follows a nonbinary monk called Sibling Dex who builds a tea cart they can live in and hauls it around on a bike to see the world and help folks with their problems by listening and offering the perfect cup of tea. This is one of two books that inspired us to become a traveling bookshop, and if you haven't read it yet, you really should!

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

This is the second book that inspired us to become a traveling bookshop, but this one is in no way cozy like the first! In this book, a ragtag group of queer banned books librarians travel around a dystopian America that has devolved back into a Wild West situation. These librarians are super badass, WILL kick your ass, and carry weapons.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang

Queers with dragons? Yes, please! This book follows a very uncomfortable dragon hunter who visits a place that worships dragons and kind of falls in love with the dragon queen. Whatever will she dooooo???

Fate's Bane by C.L. Clark

Candice is an unabashed C.L. Clark fan, and like all of their books, this star-crossed lovers tale will rip your heart out before piecing it back together again. Think family betrayal, impossible choices, conflicting loyalties, owning your power, bad blood, and true love. Clark is a master of the sword lesbian, and this novella delivers.

The Seep by Chana Porter

Not gonna lie, this novella is super weird, but it's also really great. Basically, an alien seeps in through the water supply and into the human brain and connects everything and everyone and can basically do anything. The main character, Trina, who is a totally kickass trans woman, has a partner who decides she wants to get reborn and become a baby again...and asks Trina to raise her. Weird situation, right? Super odd and surreal, but highly interesting!

What novellas have you read lately? Do you have any recommendations? What do the descriptions above sound like to you? Are any of these books you might want to read? Please answer all our questions in the comments because we really want to know 👇🏻

The Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Book Shop Team
Your favorite sentient queer bookstore 💛📚🌈