With October right around the corner, FSU Pride Month is also approaching. What better way to celebrate than by reading queer literature? Representation in literature is so important, especially for queer individuals who identify with characters in the books they read.
Overall, 2024 has been such a fun year for new releases, but my list will also include some of my favorites I’ve already read! Without further ado, here’s what I’m reading this October for FSU Pride Month!
Radio Apocalypse by Kayleigh Gallagher
Radio Apocalypse was first released on March 5, 2022. This book takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, 7,000 days after the world ends. Humanity has gone silent, except for two girls: Lota and Rachel.
Lota has a radio broadcast and is the sole voice of humanity until Rachel hears her broadcast one fateful day. The book tells the story of the two girls racing across Earth to find each other — defying the odds that a post-apocalyptic world throws at them.
I haven’t read this book yet, but it popped up on my FYP on TikTok a week or two ago, and I’m so excited about it!
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
A Dark and Drowning Tide is a recent release, first published on Sept. 17, 2024. I first saw this book on Common Ground Books’ Instagram, on one of their new release Tuesdays posts. If you haven’t gone yet, Common Ground Books is an LGBTQ+ indie bookstore in Tallahassee. I haven’t read the novel, but it’s another novel I’m hoping to finish this month from my ever-growing “to be read” (TBR) list.
The story follows two academic rivals, Lorelei Kassel and Sylvia von Wolff. The two must work together on an expedition to find a magical spring after Lorelei’s mentor is killed.
The two are pushed together as they uncover the truth about the mentor’s death and the magic spring and resist their feelings for one another.
The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan
Jennifer Dugan is one of my favorite sapphic writers, and not one of her novels is a miss. The Last Girls Standing is a young adult psychological thriller that follows two young girls named Sloan and Cherry. The two met days before murderers attacked their summer camp, and their traumatic experiences brought them closer together.
But as evidence is brought to light, Sloan’s suspicion of Cherry’s role in the murders brings them together: Was Cherry just a survivor that night? Cherry’s denial of Sloan’s suspicions only creates more confusion as Sloan tries to figure out what happened that night.
While I’m not a horror fan, I love Jennifer Dugan’s work, and this book is perfect for FSU Pride Month and spooky season. The book’s cover also got a recent redesign, which sparked my interest in reading this. If you haven’t read any of her novels yet, I would recommend anything that Dugan writes!
The Bright Falls series by Ashley Herring Blake
The Bright Falls series is made up of three books: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, and Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date. You don’t have to read these books in order, but since they take place in the same area and with the same characters, I would recommend reading them one after another.
For example, the couple from Delilah Green Doesn’t Care is featured in Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, so it’s nice to know the character development that happens in the previous novel(s).
This series is extremely popular on BookTok and other social media platforms, and it deserves all the hype. All three books are amazing, I couldn’t put them down. Ashley Herring Blake also has a new novel, Make the Season Bright, which is a holiday-themed book that releases on Oct. 1, 2024.
She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick
She Gets the Girl is a tooth-achingly sweet novel and one of my favorite romances and books of all time. Bonus: the novel takes place on a college campus! I find this book and its characters especially relatable, especially because they’re around my age. This is another popular sapphic book across social media.
The story follows Alex and Molly: Alex is headstrong and flirtatious, while Molly is awkward and looking for a fresh start in college. Alex volunteers to help Molly flirt and get with her crush, which Alex hopes will prove to her ex that she’s not selfish.
I love the dynamic between Alex and Molly, their relationship is incredibly sweet and thoughtful. Lippincott and Derrick write beautifully, and I like how the POVs switch with each chapter. Both authors also have their own novels, which I would also recommend reading.
This is only a brief overview of my favorites and upcoming sapphic novels I’m hoping to read this month. To keep track of all the upcoming WLW books released, and not just romance books, I follow @sterling_sapphic_reads. Most of the literature I read is LGBTQ+, so I always have an eye out for new reads and authors.
Some of my favorite authors not listed, however, include Meryl Wilsner, Tasha Suri, and V.E. Schwab. All three of these authors have books releasing within the upcoming year, so I would highly recommend checking them and their expected releases.
I hope at least one of these suggestions caught your eye. Queer literature is important no matter the month. We should all support queer books and authors, whether it’s October, August, February, or June — read queer all year! Happy Pride Month, everyone!
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