#sapphic summer recs

[joseopher]

hello! i stumbled upon your aftg sapphic summer post on my for you page and though i’d offer some aftg sapphic fic recs:

counting my blessings by quensty (https://archiveofourown.org/works/25203838) - renison in a wild west au

a hundred jewels on throats by poltergeists (https://archiveofourown.org/works/16443548) - renison as gods in a greek mythology au

sore-ring to cope by flybbfly (https://archiveofourown.org/works/8878429) - renison post-canon get back together at nicky and erik’s wedding

count me down, the future’s here by stranglerfig (https://archiveofourown.org/works/24351673) - an amazing transfem!allison character study with bonus renison

vengeance and death by cthulu_sun (https://archiveofourown.org/works/17104415) - hauntingly beautiful renison fic with renee as a guardian angel of vengeance/death and allison as sunshine

The Gracekeepers by wishbonetea (https://archiveofourown.org/works/26237314/chapters/63860944) - to my knowledge this is the longest renison-centric fic in the fandom and it’s a fantastic original post-apocalyptic universe

night and day by reneewvlkers (https://archiveofourown.org/works/11463897) - fic written pre-tsc where laila/alvarez are enemies to lovers

Don't Speak Against the Sun by zeffyamethyst (https://archiveofourown.org/works/898820) - this was the 1st ever aftg fic posted on ao3 and these oc’s were the inspiration for Laila and Cat

and if you’re cool with genderbends, I got a few recs for sapphic!andreil fics:

force of nature/flat affect by badacts (https://archiveofourown.org/works/14274867/chapters/32925354) - brief retelling of the series in an au where the twinyards and neil are cisswapped

who's that clawing your heart out? by lolainslackss (https://archiveofourown.org/works/15064868) - au centering around fem!andrew struggle with lesbian nails™️

in this world alone by mostly_maudlin (https://archiveofourown.org/works/44431072) - introspective college au

i hope you enjoy these! happy reading <3

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A GIANT LIST🙏 Will be reading tonight and commenting as much as I can! :D

Thanks again for the recs!! <3 <3 <3

What is sapphic summer?

[justsomesapphicbimbo]

Considering the state of the world, if for whatever insane reason you need another push to ball your eyes out, I highly highly HIGHLY recommend this film.

Shit killed me 😊

This is real. THIS IS WHERE ITS AT.

This is MY 500 days of summer.

Your welcome :)

[TW: lesbians being lesbians (and no I'm not only talking about the part where they like kissing girls, I wish that's all we were 🙏)]

[platonicmoonwater00]

ok i just watched two movies on stan. the first one was close(2023), which i was not expecting to have such a tragic ending. i was bawling.

the second one was my first summer(2020) absolutely beautiful, i loved it. australian, queer and sapphic isnt a combination i see a lot in media and im all three so yay. also quick question, when do you guys think it was set?

edit: the reason im asking is cos the cop said shed be like an adult when she was 17. i saw his license plate and it was a victorian license plate so i was like oh maybe its different there but i looked it up and youve definitely gotta be 18. so i think its set in the past and maybe the law's changed since. it felt pretty modern but also even grace didnt have a phone and she talked about reading the newspaper which people dont usually do anymore.

ALSO do you guys have any suggestions for sapphic tv shows(that wont make me bawl my eyes out) cos all the ones ive found either have a sapphic side character and the main characters are all straight or the main characters are sapphic but theyre like 40. nothing wrong with that i just prefer like teen and coming of age shows ig. PLS HELP

[write-nor-wrong]

Whats everyones summer fic?

Whether its a fic youre reading or a fic youve been writing!

Also nonfic still counts i wanna hear about them all!

That goes for fanfic as well!

Im writing a sapphic fantasy about a fallen angel betrayed and murdered by the one she loved.

[punki-miltonia]

Ten Word Book Reviews: Some Girls Do

Morgan has no awareness; Ruby has depth. Coming out’s complicated.

[jo-harrington]

HELL YES BETTY. Omg, this whole thing was perfect but this is just the cherry on top of the sundae for me, I loved their bantering throughout. It's just perfect.

Starving

Robin Buckley x Reader

My humble contribution to @dr-aculaaa's Sapphic Summer 2: Electric Boogaloo!!! I love this event so much!

18+Only, wlw, established relationship, making love, oral, fingering, just a wee something because I've been thinking (yearning) about her more than ever.

word count: 973

Robin was at the sink when you came up behind to wrap your arms around her.

“Quick, my girlfriend will be home any second,” she hissed, leaning her head back for you to bite her earlobe.

"Oh yeah?” you thumbed her nipple over her shirt.  “I’m willing to take my chances.”

“Miss me?” You turned her around to find her mouth with yours, squaring your hips up to stand flush together.

“Maybe,” she hugged her arms around your shoulders, and you loved the gentle sighs she let out when your tongues rolled together in a playful dance.  “Maybe just a little.”

She’d been counting the minutes, trying to keep herself busy so she wouldn’t stare at the clock.  You’d been gone for a week, and she hated how empty the bed felt, how there were no comforting hands on her aching muscles and in her hair after a long day.  No place to put her soft, greedy mouth when she yearned. 

Robin’s sunburned nose and shoulders with all of those freckles popping out made you feel some special type of way, like maybe you’d never love anyone more than this, ever.  You were glad to be back in your safe space, the cozy home you’d built together, in an apartment above the bakery where Robin worked.

Holding her face with both hands, you planted worshiping kisses on her cheeks and her eyelids and her chin.  Her hands slid into the back pockets of your jeans, smiling so hard she thought her cheeks would burst.  

“Are you hungry?” She asked once you leaned back to admire her adoringly, brushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes that were wet with the relief of your return.

“Starving. You have no idea,” your devious smirk made her blush.  

“I think i could help you with that,” she mumbled into your mouth, urgent hands desperate to find the skin under your shirt.  “But I went grocery shopping too if you want real food.”

“Hmm not really,” you danced her backwards, heading for the bedroom.  “I can’t think of better things to put in my mouth.”

Clothing came off in a giddy rush, pulling away from her lips only when it was absolutely necessary.  You peeled her down to the pair of ankle socks that didn’t match, and that was how you made love to her, running your hands up the fine hairs on her legs, teeth grazing her inner thigh.

Kneeling at the end of the bed with her legs hooked over your arms, your tongue dipped into that sweet spot through the nest of reddish blonde hairs to savor it, greedy and eager, diving in as deep as you could.

One hand behind her on the mattress, Robin’s other hand was on your head, and she twitched at what your mouth was doing. “She missed you.”

“I’ve missed her so much.” You used your thumbs to pull her lips apart to indulge in a better look, teasing the tip of your tongue in circles and strong flicks. “I’ve been dreaming about this.”

There was a tiny tattoo on her hip, a zodiac glyph. It was your zodiac sign.  

“I didn’t masturbate while you were gone,” Robin confessed with a bubble of laughter.  “I wanted to save it for you.”

“Aww, baby,” you stared up at her, sinking two fingers in while she watched with a slack jaw.  “That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“Shut up,” she almost chuckled, but then it turned into a whimper when you latched on again, fingers pumping and twisting.  She was blooming for you, clenching your fingers while her tiny bud swelled.

A third finger and she bucked up into you, trembling, begging to cum in your mouth.

“Mhmmhmm,” you rumbled, sticking to one spot, speeding up your licks.

You stilled your hand to lock it in place when you felt her stiffen.  “Fuck I love you so much...I’m c– I’m c-c-cum---ahh,” the words were spoken in hiccupped gasps just before she exploded around your fingers.

It wasn’t long before you were crawling up to be on top of her, intertwining legs so that your throbbing pussy could rub along her thigh.  You made out like that for a while, declarations of devotion and filthy promises muttered over and over, panting into each other.  

At one point, she took one of your knuckles into her mouth and gnawed at it like a cat in a play fight.

“What if I bit your finger off?” The nibbling turned into sucking.

“Do it,” you said with an eyebrow wiggle. “You can take anything you want.”

“Anything I want?” With a giggle she rolled on top of you, sucking at one spot on your throat so hard you were sure she intended to draw blood.  You’d have a hickey there, but you didn’t even care.  Any excuse to brag to friends about your girlfriend being such an animal was something you enjoyed.  

“Look at me,” Robin purred once you were side by side and her fingers began working circles over your clit.  “I want to see you.”

Lips parted only inches away, she watched your eyelids flutter while she pushed you over the edge, making you curse and lose control until you were gasping at the finish line. Wave after wave of euphoria crashing over you, stealing your breath. 

You took a nap in each other’s arms, rousing groggily to the sweet smell of her Pantene conditioner.  Nose dragging up her jaw, you anchored her thigh over yours with a massaging hand.  

“I think I could eat food now,” you whispered with a parched throat.

Robin gave a satisfied hum and then curled your head to her chest to rest her lips at your crown.  

“But I’ll save room for dessert.”

[fahye]

book recs: june 2024

it's been a weird few months of swinging wildly between mood reading of new things and needing to reread old favourites. all of these were new-to-me, and * means I read an ARC so they're not out yet BUT keep your eyes peeled/preorder if you like the sound of them.

SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN by john wiswell - sapphic monster romance but make it asexual rep (woo!) between a protagonist who is usually a ball of shapeshifting goo, and a woman whose awful family is trying to hunt down the shapeshifting monster. it's both delightfully gruesome and a sweet, angry story about two hurt people finding and saving one another. this book deserves to become tumblr-famous.

LORD OF SCOUNDRELS by loretta chase - an absolute platinum-level classic in regency romance history, and for good reason. jessica trent: best heroine to ever appear on the page. wild hijinks, superb feelings, jessica can we please be best friends so you can teach me all about your antiques dealership.

THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS by vajra chandrasekera - everyone describes this as 'impossible to describe' and they're right. truly original urban-ish fantasy about the oppression of underclasses, magic, identity, the inconvenience of being prophesied to kill your father, and a support group for failed messiahs. it's splendid and will stretch your mind like a muscle.

ALL THE SINNERS BLEED - by s.a. cosby - a contemporary crime thriller about a black sheriff in the american south trying to catch a serial killer in the face of systemic racism and obstruction. dark themes, wonderfully written, extremely gripping: I read it in a day.

THE UNDERHISTORY by kaaron warren - an elderly woman running tours of her infamously 'haunted' family home is confronted with a group of dangerous escaped killers looking for somewhere to hide. half slowburn crime horror and half a fantastic, meandering exploration of one person's history. you all know I love a vaguely fucked-up house, and this one comes with an older protagonist hiding secrets of her own.

THE DEATH OF VIVEK OJI by akwaeke emezi - there's a new emezi book coming out soon so I finally let myself read this one! a brief, bittersweet slap of a novel about gender and sexuality and family and longing, told in emezi's uniquely electrifying prose style. I wish I could write like this.

THE FRIEND ZONE EXPERIMENT* by zen cho - zen's first contemporary romance! inspired by kdrama tropes! a hardworking singaporean entrepreneur heroine in london! I enjoyed the romance itself but even more I enjoyed watching renee fight to prove herself in the face of various terrible men.

THE FORMIDABLE MISS CASSIDY* by meihan boey - if susan sto helit is your favourite discworld character, you will love the hell out of this. no-nonsense magical governess deals with folklore monsters and social drama in 19th century singapore. lively and heaps of fun. I wish it was an episodic buffy-esque tv show.

THE PAIRING* by casey mcquiston - two exes accidentally reunite on a food & wine tour of europe for the sluttiest and most self-indulgent bisexual summer ever. food porn, drinks porn, european scenery porn, feelings porn, porn-porn: this is a book that is 95% Various Vibes and Porn and if that sounds like your kind of thing, you'll love it. warning: will make you very hungry.

[out-of-the-forest-i-come]

Queer romance recs for the summer

Summer is here and I know many like to read more lighthearted books during that time, so here are some queer romances I've really enjoyed and that I think are perfect for the summer.

Anything by F.T. Lukens. Most specifically, those I've read are So This Is Ever After, In Deeper Waters, and Otherworldly. If you're looking for cute queer romantasy novels to read this summer, look no further. F.T. Lukens' books are fun and lighthearted even when they deal with heavier topics, and they contain mlm, mlnb, and nb rep.

Running Close to the Wind by Alex Rowland. I've talked about this book before and I'll probably talk about it many more times because I adored it. It's hilarious and refreshing even though it handles some heavy topics, so if you like pirates, accidental treason, and dirty jokes, this book is perfect for you. In terms of representation, it has polyamory rep, various sexualities, and intersex (if I remember correctly) and non-binary rep.

Gwen and Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher. This book is an adorable, fun romance set in a historical setting inspired by Arthurian times. It's perfect if you're looking for not one but two forbidden romances, banter and adventure, humour, and wlw and mlm rep.

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake. I remember I absolutely loved this book when I read it during the summer a couple of years ago, and my feelings after two years are still the same. This book is an adult romance novel (with one or two sex scenes) with vivid and complex characters, amazing sapphic rep, and a fantastic romance. Even better, it's a completed trilogy, and though I've yet to read the two other books, I'm sure they're great too.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. You've probably already heard of this one, and it is a book I've really enjoyed. Carry On is fun and captivating, and reads easily.

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick. A cute love story inspired directly from the real-life romance between the authors (who are married, if I'm not mistaken), and a great way to cheer yourself up.

Café con Lychee by Emery Lee. I read this book a couple years ago already, but it was super cute and it read so easily that I finished it in a day. If you're looking for a light-heared, coming-of-age mlm romance, then this is the book for you.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. Last but not least, one of my favourite books from last year. Boyfriend Material is a hilarious mlm romance that somehow manages to be a light read even though it deals with some dark topics. The characters are amazing, their relationship and how it develops even more so, and this book was an immediate favourite for me. Some people have disliked the sequel, Husband Material, but I loved it just as much, and the third and final book is due to come out some time next year.

[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

[lgbtqreads]

do you have any sapphic ya contemporary romcom book recs? i'm currently on a binge & i've already read i kissed shara wheeler, 6 times we almost kissed, hani & ishu, never ever getting back together & imogen, obviously. would love more books with similar vibes!!

Heh, kiiiinda my expertise, in that I've written three of them - Cool for the Summer, Home Field Advantage, and Going Bicoastal, which I think you'll prob like if you liked those, especially the first one. Also definitely check out Leah Johnson's You Should See Me in a Crown, Jennifer Dugan's Some Girls Do, Kelly Quindlen's She Drives Me Crazy, Rachel Hawkins' Her Royal Highness, Lyla Lee's Flip the Script, Christen Randall's The No Girlfriend Rule, Aminah Mae Safi's Tell Me How You Really Feel, Ciara Smyth's Not My Problem, Jake Maia Arlow's How to Excavate a Heart, and coming in the next few months, Sophie Gonzales's The Perfect Boyfriend Doesn't Exist, Erin Baldwin's Wish You Weren't Here, and Jennifer Dugan's Playing for Keeps.

[qbdatabase]

Hello, I saw that you had awesome recs for bi4bi books! I rarely have found bi4bi books in genres other than contemporary so I was hoping you could help me with that? Could you please recommend bi4bi (sapphic) books in fantasy, horror, mystery and basically any genre other than contemporary

heads up, these lists will include poly pairings with at least two female characters, pansexual / queer / unlabled multi-gender-attracted identities, and F/NB pairings

bi4bi WLW Fantasy

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson: Cuban-American bisexual female x white bisexual female

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper: bisexual female x Russian-American bisexual female

The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl: bisexual female x bisexual female

The Goddess of Nothing At All by Cat Rector: Norse bisexual female x pansexual genderfluid LI

Thornfruit by Felicia Davin: starts with lesbian female x bisexual female, but ends with an FFNB poly triad with a bisexual genderfluid MC

A Lake of Feathers and Moonbeams by Dax Murray: polyamorous bisexual female x queer non-binary MC x Asian bisexual female

Vicious Devotion by Aveda Vice: queer female x queer female x queer male x queer male in a polyamorous quartet

The Sea Witch by Katee Robert: half-Vietnamese polyamorous bisexual sub female x older fat black mga Domme female LI x (sub?) male LI in a polyamorous triad

bi4bi WLW Historical

The Companion by E. E. Ottoman: polyamorous bisexual transgender female x bisexual transgender female x transgender male

Her Countess to Cherish by Jane Walsh: pregnant bisexual female x mga bigender LI

Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak: biracial Haitian bisexual female x French bisexual female (possible) LI; French male (possible) LI

Windfall by Shawna Barnett: bisexual female MC x bisexual female MC x asexual male LI x male LI (love square, but the bi!F MCs do also romance each other)

Scandalous Passions by Nicola Davidson: Domme bisexual female x sub questioning bisexual female x sub straight male with a stutter in a polyamorous triad

bi4bi WLW Horror

Wilder Girls by Rory Power: mga female x queer female

A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson: polyamorous bisexual female x bisexual female with mood swings and depression x bisexual male

bi4bi WLW Mystery

Missing, Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist: bisexual female x bisexual female

All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell: white pansexual female with PTSD x Korean-American queer mga female

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe: bisexual female x mga female

Bury the Lede by Gaby Dunn: bisexual female x bisexual female, black lesbian female

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell: mga female x straight male (possible) LI; bisexual female (possible) LI

The Drowning Summer by Christine Lynn Herman: bisexual female x bisexual female

bi4bi WLW Sci-Fi

Curved Horizon by Taylor Brooke: bisexual female x demisexual panromantic female

City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn: chronically ill bisexual female x Japanese/ Portugese bisexual female

Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders: white pansexual female x black Brazilian bisexual trans-nonbinary femme

Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine: black bisexual female x Brazilian bisexual female x bisexual male in a polyamorous triad

full notes on representation and publishing info at qbdatabase.com

[ninja-muse]

Last month I clearly posted my wrap-up a day too early because I ended up DNFing a book that same day and therefore starting another. I don't think that'll happen again, but I'm making sure to schedule this for the first just to be sure.

Anyway, this was an all right month of reading—some greats, some simple okays—and a very good month for not acquiring books. Only one ARC came home with me, I offloaded three, and I'm almost certainly not going to buy any books in the last day of the month, but I still have 12 hours. That might change, in which case this post will also and you'll never know what I originally typed. Yeah, that worked well. Darn used bookstores!

You already know how much I liked The Briar Club. My other top reads were A Desolation Called Peace (anyone surprised?), Wandering Stars (outside my wheelhouse but good), and Nicked, which is also out in the summer and was my solo ARC haul of the month. If anyone thinks "gay medieval heist novel" sounds like a good time, they should pick that up. Also, anyone who likes cats and picture books needs to pick up Floof.

And my lows might as well start with my DNF from last month, I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons. I was really hoping it would pick up and I could push through, but it was just the wrong sort of silly for me. (I ended up going home without a book, then binging Most Ardently over the next couple days after my Libby hold came early.)

I also found The Deerfield Massacre to be odd—less rigorous than I'd have liked, a little wobbly on its thesis, doing a poor job of balancing "this must have sucked for the survivors" with Indigenous perspectives and an awareness that the Europeans were, in fact, colonizers. And A Letter to the Luminous Deep sounded so good, but I found it slow and couldn't quite connect to the characters or world.

I don't know how May is going to go, in terms of reading, so this book might end up being my review of the month, but I'm enjoying it so am going to rec it now: Evelina! Frances Burney was one of Austen's favourite authors and I can absolutely see why, and how she influenced her. If you like Austen's novels, you should 110% pick this up, because it's got romantic troubles, a highly embarrassing family, a number of awkward balls and parties, and all manner of drama. Why hasn't this been adapted? It should have been years ago.

Lastly in bookish and/or life news, my store's latest Indie Bookstore Day party was a rousing success and I don't think my legs have recovered yet from all the walking. My ability to socialize almost certainly hasn't. (It's been three days.) Thank goodness for book lovers and my fellow booksellers. Couldn't have done it without all of them.

Click through to see everything I read this month, in the rough order of how glad I was to have read them.

A Desolation Called Peace - Arkady Martine

The war with the aliens is not going well and Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass are called on to help. Which won’t be easy, but it’s harder because politics.

8.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 main characters (bisexual, sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 author

library book

Wandering Stars - Tommy Orange

150 years in the life of a Cheyenne family, before and after the events of There, There.

8/10

largely Cheyenne cast, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (multisexual, nonbinary), Cheyenne-Arapaho author

warning: genocide, alcoholism, addiction, drug use, self-harm

library book

The Briar Club - Kate Quinn

A new boarder moves into Briarwood house in Washington, D.C. in 1950, upending the dull day-to-day. Four years later, someone dies. Out in July.

8.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 POV character (bisexual), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (sapphic), Black secondary and minor characters

warning: domestic abuse, murder, race riot

reading copy

Nicked - M.T. Anderson Brother Nicephorus accompanies the saint hunter Tyun and his piratical crew on a mission to, erm, liberate the bones of St. Nicholas. Out in July.

8.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (Achillean), major 🏳️‍🌈 character (Achillean), major Central Asian character, Muslim secondary characters

reading copy

Nanny Ogg’s Cookbook - Terry Pratchett with Stephen Briggs and Paul Kidby (illustrator)

A collection of Nanny Ogg’s recipes and thoughts.

7.5/10

gifted/off my TBR shelves

Most Ardently - Gabe Cole Novoa

Oliver Bennett yearns to live on his own terms, under his real name, and kiss boys. Unfortunately, the first boy in question, one Fitzwilliam Darcy, might like him as Oliver but hates his “other self”.

6.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 main character (trans man), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay, bisexual women), 🏳️‍🌈 author

warning: deadnaming, misgendering

library ebook

Slippery Creatures - KJ Charles

When various threatening men appear in Will Darling’s bookshop seeking information he doesn’t have, Will turns to the first helpful person he meets—an aristocrat named Kim.

6.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonists (bisexual man, achillean), Black Welsh secondary character

library ebook

A Letter to the Luminous Deep - Sylvie Cathrall

In 1002, E. and Henerey begin a correspondence. In 1003, her sister and his brother begin to piece together what might have happened to them.

6.5/10

POV character with anxiety disorder, 🏳️‍🌈 POV characters (lesbian, bi man), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic, achillean), brown-skinned secondary character

reading copy

Hansel and Gretel - Neil Gaiman with Lorenzo Mattotti (illustrator)

An illustrated retelling.

7/10

off my TBR shelves

The Deerfield Massacre - James L. Swanson

The story of an infamous raid in 1704 New England, and the way it’s been mythologized since.

5/10

warning: racism, violence, murder, murder of children

library book

Picture Books

The Pie Reports - Hayley Lowe

Noor and Granddad love pie, but there’s an ocean between them, so they meet every week to eat pie on video chat. Then one day, Granddad doesn’t log on—he’s having a blue day.

🇨🇦

Floof - Heidi McKinnon

A day in the life of Floof the cat.

DNF

I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons - Peter S. Beagle

Robert doesn’t want to be the country’s dragon exterminator on the best of days, but then Princess Cerise meets Prince Reginald. Out in May.

Currently reading

Evelina - Frances Burney

Evelina travels to London and learns that the only thing more distressing than suitors is her newly discovered family. Inspired Austen.

off my TBR shelves

The Demon of Unrest - Erik Larson

The story of the six months leading up to the American Civil War.

warning: racism, slavery

reading copy

Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century - Richard Taruskin

A history of early written European music, in its social and political contexts.

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

Victorian detective stories

disabled POV character (limb injury), occasional Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 10 + 2 Yearly total: 42 Queer books: 5 Authors of colour: 2 Books by women: 4 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 0 Classics: 0 Off the TBR shelves: 2 Books hauled: 4 ARCs acquired: 1 ARCs unhauled: 4 DNFs: 1

January February March

[joseopher]

What is sapphic summer?

So I noticed that fandom often dismisses sapphic fics, and I want to change that this summer! My goal is to find sapphic fics and give them as much support as I can!

How can I participate?

Send me asks recommending any sapphic aftg fics and in return, I will leave comments and encourage others to do the same

Check out sapphic fics recommended (you can find these in the #sapphic summer recs and #aftg sapphic summer tags, though the latter will have fanart too) and if you like them leave kudos and comment

What can I recommend?

Anything where sapphic relationships and/or sapphic identity is a major part of the fic. This means that your fic doesn't have to be a romance just feature sapphic identity! Gender-bending relationships to be sapphic is also fine. I'm cool with any ships, ratings and situations except for my major trigger: non-con. If you could avoid that it'd be great. If you have any questions just shoot me an ask :D

TLDR

Send sapphic fic rec = it receives love and comments from me

Gender-bent fics are okay

Non-romantic fics are okay

All ships welcome

All ratings welcome (that means smut is okay😉)

Non-con is NOT okay

I do not own the art! It was made by risingroseart

[bettyfrommars]

I saw a post yesterday or the day before where someone was saying that this side of fic world was quiet and there was not much to read. It made me sadddd because there are so many talented writers still blogging away, and so I decided to make a list of recs with recent stuff I've enjoyed. I have a very small page and not much reach, but hopefully a few of you can find a couple new ones here to sink your teeth into.

If you are a friend of mine and I missed you on this list, pls know that I'm a fan of edibles and I forget things. But I will probably do a couple of these.

I'm not going to organize them into groups, because these are all good regardless of the main.

(in no particular order)

Pick up, will you? - @somnambulic-thing

rockstar!Eddie in this one and Somna is such a creative genius, you will thank me if you are able to go through their Masterlist. One of the more underrated creatives on this app, everything they put out is gold.

As Above, So Below -@jo-harrington

Kas!Eddie for the vampire/monsterfuckers out there. This story is so rich, Jo is one of those fic writers that make me say out loud: Wait, we get this for FREE?? Highly recommend.

Wasted Years - @neonghostlights

rockstar!Eddie and 90's au! Bee is one of those fic writers that make you want to consume everything they put out so fast because they are all SO good. Plus, she's just genuinely an amazing person and deserves to be supported/protected at all costs.

Exile in Guyville - @chestylarouxx

90s au Eddie, and let me tell you that I am not one of those who waits around for a fic to warm up or get good---this story will grab you right from the start and literally transport you to the 90's. Plus, Eddie is soooo hot in this. Please, you will love it.

WAIT HOLD ON LET ME TALK ABOUT GATOR TILLMAN FOR A SECOND

Joe Keery is about to be in the next season of Fargo as Gator Tillman and @courtingchaos did their own breathtaking spin on him. The creativity is out the roof, y'all. @usedtobecooler also gifted us with some Gator content that had me on my knees the other day. These are the only two I know of, but let me know if there are others so I can check them out!

S.J. - @lesservillain

Less just decided to drop the most beautiful story on us last night as I was about to go to sleep 😭 Based on the most wonderful Black Mirror episode ever, the way she made this her own is just breathtaking and sad in the best way.

Saccahrine - @pepsimunson

The rockstar!Eddie smut that you've been dreaming of, for real. This is one of those fics with a lot of parts already published, so you can really sink in an enjoy.

all of Drac's Sapphic Summer - @dr-aculaaa

really tho, the creativity and work she has put into these beautiful fics is insane. The Robin Buckley Y2K one is my favorite so far...it will give you the best nostalgia tingles. Seriously, you will fall in love with these.

Sea Stars and Sunshine - @imjuststeddietrashatthispoint

Steve Harrington Summer Love🫠 Another win for this writer, I love everything they create. This story will taste like summer and sand on your tongue as you read it, for real. All the beach vacation vibes...it honestly feels like a warm hug from Steve, chest hair and all.

There are also a handful of popular creators on here writing their hearts out for us all on literally a daily basis, and if you ever have any fic recs, please send them to me!

[fahye]

book recs sept/oct 2023

THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER by simon jiminez -- I have no idea how to describe this. best book I've read in a year. absolutely gutting and beautiful and intricately put-together fantasy about two young men escorting an escaped god-empress on a pilgrimage to bring down an empire. but actually it's so much more intimate than that. please please please read this book, it deserves the world. yes it's gay.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO by jessica dettmann -- an aussie romcom tailored specifically to me, someone who imprinted on the kenneth branagh much ado about nothing movie. very meta and genre aware, lively and touching, a heap of fun.

LOOKING GLASS SOUND by catriona ward -- also very meta! it's uhhh about a bisexual disaster teen's coming-of-age summer, and also about the decades-later fight over who gets to control the narrative of that summer. and hauntings. and serial killers. every single one of ward's books is its own unique thing and a wonder to behold.

THE NOBLEMAN'S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A SCOUNDREL by kj charles -- if i haven't made you read any kjc books by now then what are we doing here. I don't know how she keeps getting better and better and better. this one is another slippery liar/stubbornly goodhearted but bad-tempered lord pairing. I adored every word.

NOT HERE TO MAKE FRIENDS by jodi mcalister (ARC) -- 3rd book in her series set on a bachelor-like tv show, and my hands-down favourite. friends to lovers but also make it schemer 4 schemer!! I would die for this ruthless tv villain and her sleep deprived gremlin producer and their intense, searing, incredible romance entirely free of conventional moral compasses.

THE HOLLOW PLACES by t. kingfisher -- how are her books both so hilarious and so wildly, skin-crawlingly unsettling?? I think it's because of how relatable the protagonist is. I would react EXACTLY like kara if I found an eerie alternate dimension nexus made of willow trees in the walls of my uncle's weird museum. superb and very readable horror.

THE GILDED CROWN by marianne gordon (ARC) -- fantasy with a sapphic romance between a death-witch and the assassinated princess she was hired to raise from the dead. yes you're right that DOES sound amazing. the writing is assured and smooth and propulsive; if you like stories with a heightened mythic/fairytale feel, you'll love this.

[hpsaffics]

HP Saffics Two-Year Serverversary

Happy Two-Year Serverversary!! 🥳

The HP SAFFICS server is happy to celebrate two years of femslash madness and mayhem. With 437 members, this year we created 1,098+ works and 24+ rec lists! Between our annual summer exchange, microfic challenge, and many more events, our members have been busy spreading the sapphic love.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us along this wild spectacular journey. We can't wait for this next year with even more femslash fun!!

Check out our upcoming event: HP Saffics Femslash February 2024 🌸

Prompts & Info

AO3 Collection

Here is a link to the server. We hope to see you there! https://discord.gg/YMGeYtvMV7

Much love from the @hpsaffics mods,

@lumosatnight @fantasyborn @siriusly-sapphic @nanneramma @leftsidedown @whoreofthecottage

Peep the new logo made by the talented @rhiaflamesong 😍😍