10 Sapphic Books to Read This Pride Month
Head to the library, fellow queers. #SapphicSummer starts now.
In my personal opinion, the world would be much better off if everyone read more sapphic books. The ten books below span genres—from scifi to romance, fantasy to memoirs—so there’s something for everyone.
Whether you call them WLW1 books, lesbian books, or like to stump straight men by using the word “sapphic”2 at every opportunity (me), these books would make excellent additions to your personal library.
Note: All book links go to Goodreads which is unfortunately owned by Am*zon. If you want to get the books for yourself, I recommend bookshop.org or your local library.
Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens
Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
A horny bisexual ghost from the 15th century haunts the Mallorcan monastery where George Sand (the French woman writer) and Frederic Chopin (yes, the pianist) arrive to get the prescribed fresh-air-and-rest to treat his tuberculosis in the 1830s.
I’ll let that one sink in a minute.
Loosely based on the truly disastrous experience of Sand and Chopin as they faced horrid weather and open hostility in Mallorca, mostly for such controversial behaviors as being unmarried and wearing pants (on George’s part). But the novel is much more about our ghost narrator Blanca, who reflects on her existence, death, love, legacy, and so much more. At times very weird, a little silly, and existential-crisis-inducingly serious, this book has it all.
Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Romance
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️1/2
If you love contemporary romance authors like Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez but wish they had more queer characters, look no further than Ashley Herring Blake.
Right out the gate, Delilah Green starts out super hot and doesn’t let up. Claire accidentally hits on her BFF’s “evil” step-sister Delilah whom she basically bullied as a child. Oopsie! Now they have to be in close quarters during said step-sister’s wedding week. But don’t let anyone know they are developing feelings for each other!
The perfect escapist romance where nothing bad really happens and everyone has great sex. Five stars.
A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland
Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️1/2
If there’s one thing in a book that gets my attention faster than lesbians, it’s midwives. Especially midwives of history. Hell yes, give me a kooky lady living in the outskirts of town who knows everybody’s business AND can talk placentas and external rotation of the fetus. (If you’re nodding even a little, check out The Frozen River.)
Now, a lesbian midwife?? Make that my favorite book of 2024, A Sweet Sting of Salt. A retelling of the Scottish folktale, the Selkie Wife, this book ticks every box for me: moody, atmospheric, a little bit of mystery, and a dash of sex. I’m a happy camper.
Kissing Girls on Shabbat by Sara Glass
Memoir
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
I read a preview of this book on NYT thanks to a friend’s gift link, but then I couldn’t rest until I had the whole book in my hands. Wow. Sara Glass, known then as Malka, grows up in the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn but soon discovers her attraction to women and dissatisfaction with a life of control by men.
At times it seems that Malka has no way out—and very few options. She faces the impossible choice of losing her children or living authentically. But her hope and bravery emerge in the face of misogyny and homophobia. And for the reader, we know she is on the other side, writing her story.
Say A Little Prayer by Jenna Voris
YA Romance/Comedy
Spice Level: 🌶️
A YA book about a queer girl who tries to commit all 7 deadly sins at church camp and accidentally falls in love with the pastor’s daughter. Antics ensue!
For real though, this book healed a part of me I didn’t realize was still a bit broken. Riley is a much braver teen than I ever was. While I’m not exactly the target demo, I had to read this after enjoying the author’s Every Time You Hear That Song, a queer country music road trip novel!
Speaking of queer road trips…
Here We Go Again by Allison Cochrun
Romance/Comedy
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Two queer childhood-friends-turned-enemies who happen to teach at the same school go on a road trip with their former English teacher who only has a few months to live. We love smushing people together in small spaces (e.g. a car) to see if they kiss!!
This story is very sweet with many heartfelt moments, especially during an unexpected detour to find the old man’s lost love. Perfect for any queer people who were a little too close with their English teachers and fell in love with their middle school BFFs.
The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach
Scifi/Fantasy
Spice Level: 🌶️
A cop is demoted after being caught at a gay club in this futuristic biopunk scifi. When she finds a dead body, she’s shot by fellow officers but somehow comes back to life with the power to manipulate the threads of life.
Come for the Māori-inspired culture and queer rep, stay for the wicked cool world-building: homes built from plants, guns that burrow grubs into flesh, and self-healing pirate ships. You might say, “WTF did I just read?” at times, but the journey is worth it.
The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis
Fantasy
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tell me if this plot sounds familiar: A girl is kidnapped by a non-human creature and brought to a palace where she can have all the food, sex, and painting she wants. Poor thing!!
That’s right, if you liked ACOTAR but wish there was more gender theory (and less torture dungeon), this is the book for you. Eros is the nonbinary god(dess) of desire who falls in love with Psyche, the most beautiful woman in all the land who is suffering for being such. Their love must remain a secret, until Psyche can no longer stand the mystery…
(Definitely the smuttiest book on the list, so be warned. Or like, enjoy. Whatever floats your boat.)
Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H.
Memoir
Spice Level: 🌶️
This book interweaves moments of Lamya’s life with related passages from the Quran, making this one of the richest narrative structures I’ve read. Lamya’s story takes us to three different countries as she examines her gender and sexuality while reaffirming her faith.
Hijab Butch Blues is more than a memoir—it is a call to action. Lamya kindly includes her reading list that guided her journey to anti-colonialism activism. It’s because of this book that I’ve added more authors to my TBR, like Audre Lorde, Manto, bell hooks, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o.
The Duke's Sister and I by Emma-Claire Sunday
Historical romance
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
At first blush, this $8 Harlequin romance may seem like lesbian Bridgerton fan fiction, but The Duke’s Sister and I gets surprisingly deep. Historical queer romance always grapples with the question of, How will we actually exist like this? Emma-Claire Sunday offers genuine answers thanks to her research on queer people in Regency England.
Loretta is our Daphne Bridgerton character, virginal and sweet, ready to meet her match. Charlotte is the black sheep artist, resigned to accept her fate as not fitting in with her social circles. Charlotte introduces Loretta to underground queer spaces and clandestine gatherings for the artistic types. They fall in love, natch, but unexpected twists and turns—especially the scandal at the center of a dramatic climax—make it hard to put this book down.
That’s it! I’m always looking for new sapphic books, so leave your recs below. I’ll be working my way through a few from my TBR:
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters (historical fiction)
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (scifi)
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (fantasy)
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson (YA romance)
The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg (memoir)
Women loving women
Derived from Sappho, the Ancient Greek poet from the island of Lesbos