The Lesbrary has been around since 2010, so we’ve covered a lot of books here! It can be overwhelming. You can browse by genre, rating, and representation, but if you’re looking for a shorter list, here are a few of my personal favorites by genre. These are just my (Danika’s) picks, so be sure to browse the site for all the other Lesbrarians’ favorite books!
Fiction:
- Nevada by Imogen Binnie (review)
- The Very Nice Box by Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman (review)
- Milk Fed by Melissa Broder (review)
- Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
- My Education by Susan Choi (review)
- Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi (review)
- The Sentence by Louise Erdrich (review)
- The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan (review)
- Drag King Dreams by Leslie Feinberg (review)
- Just Girls by Rachel Gold (review)
- The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (review)
- One’s Company by Ashley Hutson (review)
- Stray City by Chelsey Johnson (review)
- Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe (review)
- When Fox is a Thousand by Larissa Lai (review)
- Lost Boi by Sassafras Lowrey (review)
- All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews (review)
- Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie (review)
- The Summer We Got Free by Mia McKenzie (review)
- Hero Worship by Rebekah Matthews (review)
- A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett (review)
- Lizzy & Annie by Casey Plett (review)
- Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera (review)
- (You) Set Me On Fire by Mariko Tamaki (review)
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker (review)
- Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson
- Fresh by Margot Wood (review) (New Adult)
Short Story Collections:
- Missed Her by Ivan Coyote (review)
- Painting Their Portraits in Winter by Myriam Gurba (review)
- The Collection edited by Tom Leger and Riley Macleod (review)
- Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (review)
- Sympathy for Wild Girls: Stories by Demree McGhee (review)
- Tauhou by Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall (review)
- A Dream of a Woman: Stories by Casey Plett (review)
Historical Fiction:
- The Last Nude by Ellis Avery (review)
- Miss Timmins’ School for Girls by Nayana Currimbhoy (review)
- The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh by Molly Greeley (review)
- Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin (review) (YA)
- Prairie Ostrich by Tamai Kobayashi (review)
- All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell (review) (YA)
- Pulp by Robin Talley (review) [YA]
- Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
- The Passion by Jeanette Winterson
Science Fiction:
- Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (review)
- Finna by Nino Cipri (review)
- An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (review)
- Meanwhile, Elsewhere edited by Cat Fitzpatrick and Casey Plett (review)
- The Little Homo Sapiens Scientist by S.L. Huang (review)
- The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (review)
- The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw (review)
- Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi (review)
- The Seep by Chana Porter (review)
- The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling (review)
- Love after the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction edited by Joshua Whitehead (review)
Fantasy:
- Legends & Lattes (review) and Bookshops & Bonedust (review) by Travis Baldree
- Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey (review)
- The Unbroken (review) and The Faithless (review) by C. L. Clark
- The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (review)
- Indigo Springs by A.M. Dellamonica (review)
- Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue
- Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History edited by Rose Fox and Daniel José Older (review)
- The Second Mango by Shira Glassman (review)
- “The Freedom of the Shifting Sea” by Jaymee Goh from New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl (review)
- Spear by Nicola Griffith (review)
- The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson (review)
- Falling In Love With Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson (review)
- Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson (review)
- The Worldbreaker Saga by Kameron Hurley (review)
- Bearly a Lady by Cassandra Khaw (review)
- The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey (review)
- Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks (review)
- A Lake of Feathers and Moonbeams by Dax Murray (review)
- Everfair by Nisi Shawl (review)
- The Dawnhounds (Against the Quiet #1) by Sascha Stronach (review)
- The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
- A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland (review)
- Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne (review)
- The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (review)
- Buffalo is the New Buffalo by Chelsea Vowel (review)
- How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler (review)
Horror/Zombies/Vampires:
- Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield (review)
- Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (review)
- Fist of the Spider Woman edited by Amber Dawn (review)
- Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink
- A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson (review)
- An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson (review)
- The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez (review)
- Gnarled Hollow by Charlotte Greene
- A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand (review)
- Eat Your Heart Out by Dayna Ingram (review)
- The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (review)
- We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (review)
- Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, edited by Carmen Maria Machado (review)
- Green Fuse Burning by Tiffany Morris (review)
- Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt (review)
- Model Home by Rivers Solomon (review) (Nonbinary main character)
- Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle (review)
Romance and Erotica:
- Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander (review) [F/F/NB]
- Rescued Heart by Georgia Beers (review)
- Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake (review)
- Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun (review)
- My Lady’s Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris (review)
- Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings (review)
- A Pirate’s Heart by Catherine Friend (review)
- Knit One, Girl Two by Shira Glassman (review)
- Season of Love by Helena Greer (review)
- An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (review) [historical]
- The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (review) [Bi4Bi M/NB romance]
- Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia (review)
- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (review)
- A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (review) [Bi4Bi M/F romance]
- Roller Girl by Vanessa North (review)
- The Long Way Home by Rachel Spangler (review)
- Macho Sluts by Patrick Califia (review)
- Say Please: Lesbian BDSM Erotica edited by Sinclair Sexsmith (review)
Comics/Graphic Novels:
- Stone Fruit by Lee Lai (review)
- Matchmaker by Cam Marshall (review)
- Sugar Town by Hazel Newlevant (review)
SFF Graphic Novels:
- Heathen, Volume 1 by Natasha Alterici (review)
- Motor Crush Vol 1 by Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr (review)
- That Full Moon Feeling by Ashley Robin Franklin (review)
- Kim Reaper: Grim Beginnings and Vampire Island by Sarah Graley (review)
- The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg (review)
- America Volume 1 and Volume 2 by Gabby Rivera
- Darlin’ It’s Betta Down Where It’s Wetta by Ro Salarian (review)
Horror Graphic Novels:
- A Guest in the House by E.M. Carroll (review)
- When I Arrived at the Castle by E.M. Carroll (review)
- Eat the Rich by Sarah Gailey, Pius Bak, and Roman Titov (review)
- Soft by Jane Mai (review)
- Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky (review)
Manga:
- I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up by Naoko Kodama (review)
- Girl Friends: The Complete Collection by Milk Morinaga (review of volume 1, review of volume 2)
- My Cute Little Kitten Vol. 1 by Milk Morinaga (review)
- My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata
- Revolutionary Girl Utena manga by Chiho Saito (review)
- Whisper Me a Love Song Vol. 1-4 by Eku Takeshima (review)
- How Do We Relationship? Volumes 1 & 2 by Tamifull (review)
- Citrus, Vols 1-3 by Saburo Uta (review)
Young Adult Contemporary:
- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (review)
- Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler (review)
- Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli (review)
- This is What it Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow (review)
- Starting From Here by Lisa Jenn Bigelow (review)
- Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake (review)
- How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake (review)
- The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta (review) [agender main character/genderfluid love interest]
- Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo (review)
- Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert (review)
- The Miseducation of Cameron Post by emily m. danforth (review)
- Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan (review)
- Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan (review) [Bisexual M/F, Bi LI)
- Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (review) [Bisexual M/F]
- The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George (review)
- In the Silences by Rachel Gold (review)
- Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin (review) [Historical]
- Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan (review)
- You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan (review)
- Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (review) [Historical]
- A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo (review)
- Indestructible Object by Mary McCoy (review)
- Out of Character by Jenna Miller (review)
- Middletown by Sarah Moon (review)
- Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy (review) [Bisexual M/F]
- Radio Silence by Alice Oseman (review)
- The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus (review)
- Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen (review)
- Noteworthy by Riley Redgate (review) [Bisexual M/F]
- Empress of the World by Sara Ryan
- The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe (review) [Thriller]
- Under Threat by Robin Stevenson
- As I Descended by Robin Talley (review)
- Pulp by Robin Talley (review)
- Follow Your Arrow by Jessica Verdi (review) [Bisexual M/F]
- The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde (review)
- Going Off Script by Jen Wilde (review)
- Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde (review)
- Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans (review) [Thriller]
- The House You Pass On the Way by Jacqueline Woodson (review)
YA Romance:
- Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler (review)
- Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler
- Wish You Weren’t Here by Erin Baldwin (review)
- Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins (review)
- Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick (review)
- Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar (review)
- The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (review)
- Love Points to You by Alice Lin (review)
- She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick (review)
- I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston (review)
- She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen (review)
YA Anthologies:
- All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell (review)
- Fools In Love: Fresh Twists on Romantic Tales edited by Rebecca Podos and Ashley Herring Blake (review)
Young Adult SFF
- Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (review)
- The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow (review)
- The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta (review)
- Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy (review)
- Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova (review)
- Of Fire and Stars (review) and Of Ice and Shadows (review) by Audrey Coulthurst
- Dreadnought by April Daniels (review) and Sovereign (Dreadnought #2) by April Daniels (review)
- Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield (review)
- Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel by A. W. Jantha
- Adaptation (review), Inheritance (review), and Natural Selection (Adaptation 1.5) (review) by Malinda Lo
- Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce (review)
- Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft edited by Tess Sharpe (review)
- Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley (review)
YA Horror
- The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould (review)
- What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould (review)
- The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh (review)
- The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall (review)
- I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea (review)
YA Graphic Novels:
- I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner (review) [historical]
- As the Crow Flies by Mel Gillman (review)
- Stage Dreams by Mel Gillman (review)
- Goldie Vance Vol. 1 written by Hope Larson and illustrated by Brittney Williams (review) (as well as Vol 2 and Vol 3)
- Slip written by Marika McCoola and illustrated by Aatmaja Pandya (review)
- Jem and the Holograms by Kelly Thompson and Sophia Campbell
- Heavy Vinyl, Volume 1 by Carly Usdin and Nina Vakueva (review)
YA SFF and Horror Graphic Novels:
- Cooking With Monsters by Jordan Alsaqa & Vivian Truong (review)
- The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught (review)
- Specter Inspectors by Bowen McCurdy and, Kaitlyn Musto (review)
- The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag (review)
- Supermutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki (review)
- Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, and Berenice Nelle (review) (Horror)
- Princeless: Raven the Pirate Princess Vols. 1-3 by Jeremy Whitley (review)
Middle Grade:
- Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow (review)
- Hazel’s Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow (review) [Two moms]
- Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender (review)
- Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee (review)
- P. S. I Miss You by Jen Petro-Roy (review)
- Goldie Vance: The Hocus Pocus Hoax by Lilliam Rivera (review)
- Kenzie Kickstarts a Team (The Derby Daredevils #1) by Kit Rosewater, illustrated by Sophie Escabasse (review)
Middle Grade Graphic Novels:
- The Pale Queen by Ethan M. Aldridge (review)
- The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars by Michael Dante DiMartino
- Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales by Melanie Gillman (review)
- The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor (review)
- Aquicorn Cove by Katie O’Neill (review)
- The Girl from the Sea by Molly Ostertag (review)
- Space Battle Lunchtime Volumes 1 & 2 by Natalie Riess (Vol 1 & 2 review) (Vol 3 review)
- Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, and Shannon Watters (review)
Memoirs and Biographies:
- Two or Three Things I Know for Sure by Dorothy Allison (review)
- The Life and Times of Butch Dykes by Eloisa Aquino (review)
- The Family Tooth by Ellis Avery (review)
- When We Were Outlaws by Jeanne Cordova (review)
- Tomboy Survival Guide by Ivan Coyote (review) [Nonbinary]
- Hunger by Roxane Gay (review)
- The Black Period by Hafizah Augustus Geter (review)
- Prairie Silence by Melanie Hoffert (review)
- How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler (review) [Nonbinary]
- Love is an Ex-Country by Randa Jarrar (review)
- Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk by Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe (review)
- Thunder Song: Essays by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe (review)
- Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde (review)
- In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (review)
- First Spring Grass Fire by Rae Spoon (review) [Nonbinary]
- Gender Failure by Rae Spoon & Ivan E. Coyote (review) [Nonbinary]
- Before the Rain: A Memoir of Love & Revolution by Luisita Lopez Torregrosa (review)
- Licking the Spoon: A Memoir of Food, Family and Identity by Candace Walsh (review)
- Reading the Waves by Lidia Yuknavitch (review)
Nonfiction:
- Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker, illustrated by Julia Scheele (review)
- Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest To Track Down The Last Remaining Lesbian Bars In America by Krista Burton (review)
- Care of: Letters, Connections, and Cures by Ivan Coyote (review)
- Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme edited by Ivan Coyote and Zena Sharman (review)
- Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire by Lisa M. Diamond (review)
- Inseparable: Desire Between Women In Literature by Emma Donoghue (review)
- Queers Dig Time Lords edited by Sigrid Ellis and Michael Damian Thomas (review)
- Aimée & Jaguar: A Love Story, Berlin 1943 by Erica Fischer
- The ABCs of LGBT+ by Ash Hardell (review)
- Crip Kinship: The Disability Justice & Art Activism of Sins Invalid by Shayda Kafai (review)
- Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (review)
- Kicked Out edited by Sassafras Lowrey (review)
- Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller (review)
- The Whole Lesbian Sex Book by Felice Newman (review)
- The Women’s House of Detention by Hugh Ryan (review)
- Dear John, I Love Jane edited by Candace Walsh and Laura Andre (review)
Poetry:
- Sisterhood by Julie R. Enszer (review)
- Bodymap by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (review)
- When I Was Straight by Julie Marie Wade (review)
- If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho edited by Anne Carson
Nonfiction Comics & Graphic Memoirs:
- Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (review)
- I’m a Wild Seed: My Graphic Memoir on Queerness and Decolonizing the World by Sharon Lee De La Cruz (review)
- Be Gay, Do Comics!: Queer History, Memoir, and Satire from the Nib (review)
- Kimiko Does Cancer: A Graphic Memoir by Kimiko Tobimatsu, illustrated by Keet Geniza (review)
- War of Streets and Houses by Sophie Yanow (review)