More than 45 years after the first newspaper article about AIDS appeared in the New York Times, gay poet Steven Reigns continues to write about it; a literary reminder that the health crisis is far from over. As with his previous collection, “A Quilt For David,” the subject is front and center in his new book, “Outliving Michael” (Moon Tide Press, 2025). A far more personal effort, “Outliving Michael” is a devastating poetic tribute to Reigns’ late friend Jon Michael Church, who passed away at the age of 42 in 2000.

Spring always feels like the right time to shake up your reading list, and this month’s new releases are filled with heart, adventure, identity, and the kinds of stories that stay with you long after the final page.

Check out our interview with Kate White, the author of "I Came Back For You."

Twenty feet in front of you, and you can’t see a thing.

Check out our interview with Ciera Burch, the author of "Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away," down below.

As the days start warming up, my reading list is already leaning into stories filled with magic, adventure, and the kind of romance that makes you turn pages long past bedtime.