I have been true to the bookworm life for a solid 14 years now, so I’d like to think that I can pick a great book out of any lineup. I discovered the amazingness that are sapphic books when I picked up “She Drives Me Crazy” by Kelly Quindlen. Celebrating queer love is a year long kind of thing for me, not just pride month. So here are some of my favorite queer reads that will not only make you cry, but make you try manifesting a curly haired masc in your journal. I like to kiss the pages after putting on my fav lippie just to really make sure the universe understands the vibe I’m tryna send.Â
She Drives Me Crazy
“She Drives Me Crazy” by Kelly Quindlen, is cute and heartwarming in every way, and entirely deserving of the first recommendation on this list. This book is everything the sapphic world needs: enemies to lovers, fake dating, and features a beautiful queer brown woman. After losing a basketball game to her ex girlfriend, Scottie Zajac ends up accidentally hitting another car, but not just anyone’s car, her high school nemesis: the beautiful but “awful” Irene Abraham. Things for the two only get worse when both of their mothers decide the girls must carpool together until Irene’s car is fixed. This already bumpy ride gets even more complicated when, in order to show her evil ex who’s really boss, Scottie begs Irene to be her girlfriend…well fake girlfriend. This book is cheesy and angsty and filled with amazing character development. Basically what I would consider a must read. If you’re looking for a slow burn sapphic romance with characters that are constantly growing, this book is perfect for you.Â
Fresh: A Novel
“Fresh: A Novel” by Margot Wood, is a must read for any queer woman in college. It’s a genuine LOL kind of read, filled with a lot of love, and a whole lot of coming of age. This book follows Elliot Mchugh, a huge hot mess that you just can’t help but root for, into her first year of college. Her freshman year is everything you’d expect: ridiculously emotional, unbelievably confusing, and somehow still the best thing ever at the same time. We watch Elliot get drunk and dance a little too much like no one is watching…something I can unfortunately really relate to, have both great and awful hookups, and meet amazing friends who help her discover what it means to be Elliot Mchugh. We watch her grow and we watch her heal, all while still making it to her 8 AM classes.Â
Iris Kelly Doesn’t DateÂ
“Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date” by Ashley Herring Blake, was recommended to me by one of my good friends, Pam. Now for this book, I’m going to have to shout out any and all gay theater kids because this book is for you. This book follows Iris Kelly, a romance writer with parents who make out in front of her and friends that are all dating each other. But Iris is so single and so not in love that when her friends announce they’re getting married, she kinda ends up crying alone in her Subaru. Yes, they drive a Subaru. She’s a queer woman. But being single and not in love does not stop them from getting her freak on. So with a goal of turning a low into a high, she heads to the bar, where she coincidentally (more like fated by the universe) meets Stevie, an aspiring theater star extremely tired of watching her ex and best friend make out. The two hit it off instantly, but what should be an intense night filled with passion, ends with Iris covered in puke. The disaster of a night ends with the two expecting to never see each other again, until Iris, looking for inspiration for her next book, decides to join the local play, the one Stevie just oh so happens to be starring in. I loved this book so much, if you’re going to read any of the books from this list, let it be this one!Â
Sapphic romances are some of my favorite books to read ever. If you haven’t read any before, I really really really hope you get a chance to! Maybe even some of the ones I’ve recommended, WINK!Â