#sapphic book recs

[hedghost]

Pick a WOSO Player - Get a Sapphic Book Recommendation!

something different for you guys! this was so fun to make so idc if it flops

note: please check content warnings before reading as some may have adult or triggering content - feel free to ask me about anything!

Links: Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

--------

Alessia Russo: Her Name In The Sky by Kelly Quindlen

Leah Williamson: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Ona Batlle: This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Lucy Bronze: Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

Keira Walsh: She Gets The Girl by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Mapi Leon: Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Viv Miedema: Last Night At The Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Maya Le Tissier: The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

Lia Walti: If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So

Katie McCabe: She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

Georgia Stanway: Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

Ella Toone: I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre

Jordan Nobbs: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Mary Earps: Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

Alexia Putellas: Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan

okay no one is gonna care about this but i don’t give a fuck!! this was actually so fun to make and i have so many more so i’ll probably do a part two anyway, so if you have any specific players lmk!

follow me here on storygraph for more recs 🤭🤭

Hedge xx

[vampiefemme]

i’ve pushed myself to read more sapphic literature this year, so here are some of my favs:

mistakes were made by meryl wilsner - spicy! age gap! secret relationship! this was one of the best books i read this year, i devoured it in just a few days. delicious smuttiness

sorry, bro by taleen voskuni - bi girls in love <3 super fun, lighthearted read with beautiful armenian representation.

we do what we do in the dark by michelle hart - this one is a lot heavier and, ahem, darker. another age gap and some angst but there’s a happy ending!

when katie met cassidy by camille perri - this one is about first-time sapphic revelations which i loved, really easy to read too.

one last stop by casey mcquiston - if you look past the occasional cringy millennial quip, this book is so fun and heartwarming. kinda sci-fi too?

honorable mention for the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon - not strictly dedicated to a sapphic love story (it’s a giant fantasy novel first), but so worth a read. one of the queen’s handmaidens is an undercover sorceress sent to protect her and they fall in loooove.

[lucidmagic]

Sapphic/Lesbian Fairytale Retelling Recommendations?

I've been on a fairytale/folklore retelling with a sapphic twist kick lately (mostly because I've been brainstorming a loose one for an OG project) and I was wondering if my dear and illustrious followers (and those who come across this post) may have recommendations they want to shout out.

So far, I've read:

Malice by Heather Walter (Sleeping Beauty),

Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn (Beauty and the Beast with some Sleeping Beauty),

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer (Persephone and Hades)

(those are the ones I can remember reading as of late)

I have The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley and Thorn by Anna Burke coming in the mail soon.

I definitely know there is more to read, but idk where to even start. Let me know if you guys have any suggestions!

Thanks! Stay safe and happy!

[magpizza]

Mag's Sapphic Book Recs

Hey! @fairymascot sent a few of you my way who are looking for some sapphic book recs! I have compiled a list of 50 or so books, both Adult and YA, across the genres I read. These are just my personal favorites, and I encourage you to look further into any book that piques your interest!

For where I go for books, I go to my local library a lot and can't sing the praises of the Libby app enough for borrowing ebooks and audiobooks. I also always encourage those who can to get their books from independent bookstores or sites like bookshop.org.

ADULT

I wanna feel sad or stressed out! -Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily R. Austin - Gilda is anxious, depressed, and jobless, so she accepts a receptionist job at a catholic church and becomes obsessed with what happened to the woman who had the job before her. A book I felt really deeply as an anxious person myself. -All The Little Moments by G. Benson - Anna's career-focused world is turned upside down when her brother and sister-in-law pass away and she is left to take care of their two young children. This one is a real tearjerker and the romance with the woman Anna meets is very very sweet. I've read almost all of G. Benson's books and found them all to be absolute winners (Purposefully Accidental is excellent, also deals with grief though is more lighthearted and has some of the best dialogue I've ever read). -Landing by Emma Donohue - This is such a lovely, meaty book that explores the complexities of people, as well as the challenges a burgeoning relationship can go through. The MCs face distance, age difference, culture differences, different life goals, etc. The characters around them were also surprisingly deep and interesting. It had me on the edge of my seat as to how it would resolve. -I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane - this one is a bit sci fi, but I felt the sad outweighed the sci fi classification. A future world where you are marked by your crimes by being given an extra shadow, a woman has to navigate single motherhood with her daughter having been given an extra shadow from birth. It was somber, it was lovely, I felt so much weight in my heart. -Whisper of Solace by Milena McKay - If you like terrible women doing terrible things to each other in the name of their careers but also obsession and love, this one is for you! One of the most unique Ice Queen POVs I have read!

Okay, I'm sad enough, now I want a happy romance! -Wherever Is Your Heart by Anita Kelly - Even as a lover of romance myself, few books have made me swoon like this one. Two older butch women finding love much later in life and being realistic about their issues and problems, I just absolutely adored the grounded conversations they had. Also a very quick read! -Breaking Character by Lee Winter - This is one of the most enjoyable, fun, heartfelt romances. It's Hollywood, it's fake dating, it's age gap. Both characters go on such a lovely journey together. This is one I would highly encourage you to listen to the audiobook as Angela Dawe is amazing at doing all the character voices and accents. Additionally, there is not a single Lee Winter book I haven't liked, so highly recommend any of hers (The Awkward Truth is my second fave of hers, with a unique and younger ice queen). -The Carlisle Series by Roslyn Sinclair - You honestly can't have a sapphic romance list without this series. It's adapted and updated from Roslyn's Devil Wears Prada fanfic, but this is a story all its own and had me tearing up at the ending. I did the exercise of reading both the books and the fanfic which was very fun to compare! -Something's Different by Quinn Ivins - This is one of the sweetest books, I smiled all the way reading it. A woman has to step in to cover for her twin sister at her job while her sister goes off with her boyfriend, and she ends up falling for her sister's boss. It was a lovely book that also touched on mental health. I also love an academic setting, and it made statistics fun to learn about! -Bright Falls Series by Ashley Herring Blake - This 3 book series is so fun, just true romcom goodness. The characters are fun and interesting, they have complex relationships with each other, and I love how the author sets up these little ways the characters think is truth or reality, only to find how differently they perceived things.

Give me some scary ones! -The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling - cave spelunking in a tricked up space suit, being chased by ghosts, and not sure if you can trust the woman on the radio who's guiding you through it. Has just such a satisfying ending too. -The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean - a vampire-adjacent book, it's a world where these beings eat books, but then sometimes one amongst them instead eats minds. A woman, book eater herself, runs away from her family to protect her son who is a mind eater. I felt this one was gutwrenching at times, with characters making tough and sometimes bad decisions, and it kept a grip on me the whole way. -Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant - this one is more of an ensemble cast as it jumps around to several POVs, but the sapphic romance pair in it is great. It follows a crew aboard a ship to figure out what happened to a previous ship where everyone just disappeared. Every character has a rich internal life of why they're there, what are their goals, etc. -Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield - a woman's wife went on a deep sea expedition and returns not quite the same. The book jumps between the two women, what happened on that expedition and what her wife is having to deal with after she returns. I also enjoyed Julia's book of short stories, Salt Slow.

Wow, that was pretty scary. What about some fun science-y adventures? -The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson - a sci fi, multiverse traveling book. In the future, society can send people to alternate verses, mostly to steal resources, but you can only be sent if the other version of you is already dead in that world. The writing is fast-paced, really fun, and had some great quotes I even wrote down. It had so many little and big twists along the way, I gasped a lot. -The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett - kinda fantasy, kinda sci fi, kinda steam-punky, but a whole lotta fun! Fast-paced, it has one of the most interesting magic systems I've ever read. It's low on romance but the sapphic relationship that develops had my heart clenching by the last book. I read this series this year and already want to re-read it. -This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone - this book is a short but challenging read. It may not be for everyone. Treat it less like a novel and more like a riddle. It's feeding you bits and pieces as it goes and all will be revealed by the end. One of the most romantic books I've read.

Sure sure, but how about some escapism into fantasy now? -The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir - this one could've also gone in the horror or sci fi lists, what with the lesbian necromancers in space tagline. You've probably heard of it, it's dense, complicated at times, and will throw you for a loop when it quotes Linkin Park lyrics at you. Each book has such a different flavor too. A fun series to not only read but also reread! It requires a lot of attention, and I'm not too proud to admit I had to look up several word meanings as I read. The only series I have multiple versions of because I couldn't resist the special editions. -The Burning Kingdoms series by Tasha Suri - love me some fantasy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, some morally gray characters, complicated motivations, some betrayal of the ones you love most. This series is so lovely and such a fun and heartwrenching ride and I can't wait for the next book. -Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree - It's cozy, it's sweet, it just made me smile all the way through. The sequel I found just as lovely as well.

Enough with the other worlds! Got anything historical? -The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - this one could also go on the sad list. It's poetic, lovely. A town of only women since their men all were lost in a storm and how the women manage to move on, deal with their grief, and face a dude who comes in later to try to "set their society right" or whatever. Throw that dude into the sea too. -Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - an absolute rollercoaster of a book. It's a long, great read with deception upon deception upon twists. I also highly recommend the BBC miniseries it was adapted into! -The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite - this one really surprised me. It's honestly really sweet. Two women come together to translate a French astronomy text and fall in love in the process.

Got anything with pictures? -Luisa Now and Then by Carole Maurel - drama, a woman in her 30s encounters her much younger self and they have to come to terms with who they thought they were and what they thought their life would be like. -A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll - heavy on the horror, not really a romance, but it is gorgeous, atmospheric, and didn't go where I thought it was going. -How Do We Relationship by Tamifull - drama, slice of life, one of my favorite series, it goes through some really complex character relationships and interactions. The main couple starts dating pretty quickly, and it only gets more complicated from there. -She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki - slice of life. This one starts out simply enough, with two women who connect over food. Their relationship blooms slowly from there, and the latest volume introduced some additional characters that expand the discussion on how different our relationship to food and eating can be.

YOUNG ADULT

That was a lot. I'm ready to be sad again. -We Are Okay by Nina LaCour - a girl leaves everyone behind to go to college, and won't talk to them about why or what happened that changed her in those few weeks before she left. Her best friend comes to visit her and what follows is a slow, anguishing tale of grief, regret, and love. Honestly, for a sad time, you can always depend on Nina LaCour. -Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick - this one might not work for everyone if you don't like an amnesia story. It had so much longing, loss, confusion, and a romance strong enough to attempt to get through it. -6 Times We Almost Kissed (and One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe - Don't let the meme-rific title fool you, this book wrung out my heart. The characters are rich, deep, conflicted, and complicated. Deals with grief, with lost opportunities, with complicated friendships and complicated love. -If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude - what happens if you were already suicidal, but then the world is going to end soon anyway? This book deals heavily with depression and the end of the world, in many different meanings. -Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo - this one broke my heart a few times. Two girls who don't know they are related lose their father in a plane crash, and it only gets sadder and more complicated from there as both their words begin to connect.

Wow, all this sadness has made me angry! -Harley Quinn: Reckoning by Rachael Allen - gotta love a female rage revenge book. This book is a really engrossing read, it weaves a lovely mystery, and has one of my all time favorite twists and love interest characters of any book.

I've angered myself out, can we have some happy romance? -She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick - a lovely lovely contemporary romance story. Nothing surprising, just all the good stuff. Also writen by a wife team! -How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow - a very sweet holiday romance that starts when one of the MCs almost runs over her love interest. -Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes - with the topics this one deals with, it could've very easily made the sad list as well. The overall uplifting ending is what kept it more in the happy list for me.

Okay, okay, I'm ready to be scared again! -These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall - this one has it all, creepy house, family trauma, falling for the weird girl in the woods. It all built up to a really great twist too. I recommend the audiobook, it had great production and acting, and even legit scared me and I couldn't listen to it at night.

I like horror, but got anything a little more sci fi? -The Meadows by Stephanie Oaks - along the same lines of A Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian future where the government has a lot to say about what your role is in society and what you are supposed to do/be. At times a little slow, but at all times really heartwrenching.

Anything related to history? -A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar - four girls band together to execute a jewel heist on the titanic! Which sounds very exciting and it is! I also bawled at the end. Honestly I will read any and all Adiba Jaigirda books too.

Okay let's get into that fantastical escapism! -Fractured Fables series by Alix E. Harrow - based on fairytales, these two novelas are very quick reads, very engaging and I especially loved the romance that developed in the second one! -We Set the Dark on Fire series by Tehlor Kay Mejia - Handmaids Tale adjacent as well and the backdrop is Latiné inspired. A really great read, both books had be gripped by the chest. Good twists too! -The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett - inspired by sleeping beauty, the prince set to inherit the throne falls asleep and his younger sister has to figure out how the hell she keeps it all together until he (hopefully) wakes up. -Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron - a society built after the very real Cinderella story, where all ladies of age go to the ball to be selected as brides, and then the story of a girl trying to fight against all that. -Forgotten Gods series by Marie Rutkoski - A girl who lives on the poor side of town meets a rich girl who seems ready to take her on adventures. I really enjoyed the main character's journey and how she changed oh so very drastically throughout the story. -Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst - I've recced this to friends who did not like it as much as I did but I'm still putting it on this list. Maybe it's just this book has all the things I like and that's fine. A princess betrothed to a prince is hiding her magical abilities and ends up falling for her fiance's sister, oops. -Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley - what drew me to this story was the quiet mystery it weaves. Sofi wants to take her father's place as a Musik (the few musicians in the country allowed to compose music) but then an unexpected, untrained lute player shows up and just absolutely outplays her. Sofi is determined to prove this new girl cheated with magic. Adrienne Tooley overall is an author I always enjoy. -Nampeshiweisit series by Moniquill Blackgoose - only the first book is out so far (To Shape a Dragon's Breath) but boy am I invested! A young girl finds the first dragon egg to appear in her remote island in 15 years, but the colonists of her land have strong opinions of who is allowed to have a dragon, how they need to be trained, and what they should do with dragons.

Phew that was a lot of words. Got anything with pictures again? -Thieves by Lucie Bryon - a really sweet and surprisingly deep story about two girls who steal shit. -Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa - a high school love triangle that worked in all the right ways. I loved the art, and as someone with vision deterioration, one of the easiest reads I've had recently! -Twelfth Grade Night by Molly Horton Booth - the original Shakespeare play Twelfth Night was formative for my lesbian realization, and this cute adaptation was so well done and modernized the story in a really fun and fantastical way. -The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz - continues the running theme of girl pretending to be a boy falls for girl, oops. Has a historical and modern twist to it all, very fun and loved the expressions. Do Not skip the author's notes at the end where she talks about what inspired the story, it was a highlight as well! -Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall - Mean Girls meets werewolves -Cosmoknights series by Hannah Templer - princesses, space travel, giant robot fights, this has got it all and some very lovely art to boot! -Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir by Maggie Thrash - one of those comics that perfectly captures what it feels like to be a young girl falling in love with another girl for the first time. It's a little bit emotionally devastating at times in how expertly it expresses and pinpoints those specific feelings.

[so-many-ocs]

yo!

i don't make dedicated posts about my own work on here a ton, however comma!

RADIO APOCALYPSE is FREE in ebook format from october 16 (tomorrow) until october 20th (friday)!!!

my birthday is coming up, and For My Birthday, i would like it very much if more people got to read my writing!

so, if you like:

post-apocalyptic science fiction

cosmic/eldritch horror

radios

lesbians (plural)

eye motifs

audio dramas of Most Kinds

cool book covers (in my unbiased opinion)

crushing existential loneliness. the fundamental, ever-lurking, and unchanging sense of isolation at the pit of your being; the feeling that, no matter what, you will never be closer to those around you, and you can laugh about it, and you can reach out, but the silence is impenetrable. it will outlast you in every way that matters

knitting!

here's how to get RADIO APOCALYPSE for free!!

go to the amazon site for your location

search "radio apocalypse kayleigh gallagher" or something to that effect

go to "ebook"

DO NOT: do not select "read now for free." that will take you to the page for kindle unlimited, which you have to Pay For

instead select the option that says something along the lines of "buy now for $0"

enjoy your free book!

[vampiremacncheese]

Looking for some fresh new sapphic reads👀🌈?

Here's a roundup of everything from heart-melting romance 💕 to spine-chilling horror stories that'll linger long after the last page 👻.

[sendme-2hell]

‼️ATTENTION SAPPHIC DERRY GIRLS FANS ‼️

Please read Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth. You will love it.

That is all,

Thank you

[thedykeprincess]

I'll never get over the rancid ass reviews of The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon... like if Sullivain was a man, y'all would be FOAMING AT THE MOUTH let's not lie

ANYWAY if any dykes wanna read a fantasy book featuring necromancy, witchcraft, very cool magical beings, political intrigue, complex and sometimes painful familial relationships and, yes, a deeply interesting and complicated slow (and I mean SLOW) burn sapphic relationship/romance, I would highly recommend The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon (first book in the Raven's Trade series!!)

[queerbookmasterlist]

Sapphic books perfect for Valentine's Day 📖

How many have you read? Which ones will you be adding to your TBR?

Roses are Red, Violet is Dead: ?/5⭐ (TBR)

Redacted for #SpeakUpSMP: 5/5⭐

Knotty Valentine: ?/5⭐ (TBR)

The Romance Recipe: 4/5⭐

Everyone's Thinking It: ?/5⭐ (TBR)

Tell Me What You Want: ?/5⭐ (TBR)

Delilah Green Doesn't Care: 5/5⭐

Poisoned on Valentine's Day: ?/5⭐ (TBR)

The Perfect Match: ?/5⭐ (TBR)

Charm City: ?/5⭐ (TBR)

DISCLAIMER:

I have not read all of these books so I cannot attest to their quality or the issues that may arise in them. I have tried to note which I have or have not read. It is also highly recommended that readers check trigger warnings to decide if a book is right for them.

[stormblessed95]

The Girl From The Sea

This book, a graphic novel, was SO FREAKING GOOD. It was adorable and I teared up and I loved it.

It's a queer coming of age romance story, featuring a Selkie and with a subplot for environmental activism. Literally what's not to love?? Including the ending that made me cry! It's too short. I needed more. It's for young readers though, so you get what you expect and it's a little predictable, but honestly my enjoyment level was top notch. And the art style was BEAUTIFUL

Its Pride Month. Read a Sapphic book 😭😭😭 these kids!! I'm rooting for their happily ever after I swear 😭

[lonely-wandering-heart]

I read a lot of sapphic books so I am thinking of posting my reviews of them on here and I have very few people I can talk about them to since I’m not out.

Also sapphic book recs please!!!

[hedghost]

it’s the return of…

Pick a WOSO Player, Get a Sapphic Book Rec!

Part 4: YA (Mostly) Contempory Romance Edition

Links: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5

Note: I haven’t read any of these yet so please remember to do your own research and check content warnings before reading!

Aggie Beever-Jones: Hotshot by Clare Lydon

Kathrine Kuhl: Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick

Salma Paralleulo: You Don’t Have A Shot by Racquel Marie

Grace Clinton: Gwen and Art are Not In Love by Lex Croucher

Jess Carter: Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan

Esme Morgan: The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

Zecira Musovic: Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake

Katrina Gorry: That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey

Kyra Cooney-Cross: It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiara

Charli Grant: Never Mine by Bryce Oakley

Khiara Keating: Six Times We Almost Kissed by Tess Sharpe

Hannah Hampton: Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth

Esmee Brugts: Sorry Bro by Taleen Voskuni

Jule Brand: Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

Daan van de Donk: Margo Zimmerman Gets The Girl by Brianna R. Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum

gonna do another one of these with some different/more adult genres so feel free to send in any players i haven’t done yet!

Hope you liked it! Check out the previous posts and follow for more :)

Hedge xx

[maxalotlxl]

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick

4 Stars.

Cute. Adorable. Sweet.

When one girl wants to prove to an on and off girlfriend that she can have friends without it being a hook up and learn to be more emotionally available, she ends up agreeing to help another girl get with her long term crush.

One issue the other girl is extremely anxious and seems to finding herself more comfortable with the first girl and maybe some feelings start to happen.

I did love this as an easy read and something to help me during probably the busiest weekend of my year.

Finished April 2nd.

[jessreadswithpride]

It would have made me being a lesbian make wayyyyy more sense and my coming out a lot easier

[moodywyrm]

just finished reading abby x bookworm! reader and it just so sweet. had me giggling and kicking my feet

do you have any sapphic book recommendations or just book recommendations in general?

im so glad you liked it!!

n oh my god this is the moment I've been waiting for, i love giving book recs. obvs the two big sapphic recs are the two I mention across the two abby fics, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo and One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. The first is about a Chinese-American teenager named Lily figuring out her sexuality in 1950s San Francisco, I read it last year and absolutely loved it, honestly I want to reread it for an honors thesis. The other is one of my favorite books, about a girl named August who moves to New York n finds a mysterious girl named Jane on her commute. Huge found family elements, bi x lesbian relationship, there are some things that August said pertaining to racism that are dumb, but overall I really like the book.

For a sci-fi rec, I really love Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. It's pitched as lesbian necromancers exploring a decrepit castle in space, which is absolutely perfect. I haven't continued with the series yet bc I'm not buying extra books this year (rip) but I really fucking love this book n want to reread it n I think every Abby n Ellie lover would love Gideon Nav <3

I also really like the Girls of Paper and Fire series by Natasha Ngan, although I haven't read the third book yet. It follows Lei as she is basically forced to become a consort, a 'paper girl' to the demon king, alongside eight other girls. I would check the trigger warnings for this one, but I'm enjoying it so far.

Oh and my ultimate favorite sapphic duology is We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia. I haven't read it in like a year or two but I remember I fucking loved it, n it was one of the few sapphic latine books I had found. It follows two girls who marry the same, very powerful man (as it goes in the world of the book), n they have a sort of rivalry as his wives. You can guess where that goes but it also has some insane revolutionary stuff going on that I love.

Honestly, I feel like I haven't read enough sapphic books, but some that I really want to read n will likely buy at the end of the year are The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, and Legend and Lattes by Travis Baldree. I would love more sapphic recs though!!

[vampiremacncheese]

Carmilla and Laura

By S.D. Simper

"Sleep, my love." she whispered. "This world was not made for lovers such as us. But do not fear; instead, we shall build our own."

Laura is a shy, secluded girl living in a schloss by the forest in the late 19th century Styria. Everything changes by a twist of fate when she meets Carmilla. Carmilla’s allure is undeniable and her touch seems to draw a spark in Laura, a desire burning deeper than the fire of hell. But Carmilla’s reluctance about disclosing her past draws a line between them and when young women start disappearing, Laura is forced to reconcile with a hard truth about her.

While the original Carmilla deserved its place in the hall of fame, this retelling is not often talked about. Carmilla and Laura fills the gaps that its predecessor never did, so its refreshing for those who had read the original one.

Surprisingly, it is Laura who I think has the more intriguing arc of the two. She is in a constant battle between her faith and desire. Carmilla, on the other hand, is bold, unafraid, and the only time her persona is vulnerable is when she's with Laura. Their relationship is deep and endearing, and the gothic atmosphere of the whole book just adds to the vibes. I mean…a castle by the forest in an abandoned countryside with a vampire on the lose? Where do I sign up?

Filled with rich prose and captivating writing, this is a short read for anyone looking for Castlevania-esque eerie atmosphere, a timeless romance and an unforgettable ending. I cannot recommend this book enough!