I don’t think I’ve ever been so pulled into a novel by the dedication, author’s note, and epigraph. (The epigraph to Part One is “i did not come to preach of peace / for that’s not the hunted’s duty.” -Danez Smith.) In the author’s note, Johnson explains the inspiration behind this book coming from her time participating in the 62-day sit in at Nashville’s Tennessee State Capitol. I found myself writing down multiple quotations, including…
The Lesbrary Recommendations List Has Been Updated!
We’ve reviewed thousands(!) of sapphic books here at the Lesbrary, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed by choice. That’s why I keep a list of my personal recommendations sorted by genre and linked to my full reviews. These are just the books I really enjoyed and would recommend. I’ve been updated this regularly for years,Read More
An Unforgettable Experimental Novel: Biography of X by Catherine Lacey Review
In what has quickly become one of my favourite novels of all time, Catherine Lacey’s Biography of X (Picador 2023) reveals a circuitous tale of a woman’s life and an alternate history of the United States that was consuming, compelling, and thrilling to read. When a woman known only as X—a performance artist, author, and infamous socialRead More
The Heights and Depths of Queer Trans Nostalgia: A/S/L by Jeanne Thornton Review
When Lilith, Sash, and Abraxa were teenagers in the late 90s, they ran a video game corporation together. They never actually sold a video game, but they worked on an incredibly ambitious text-based (ASCII) game together. Sash was the leader, the idea person who held everyone else to exacting standards. Lilith struggled to design gameRead More
A Queer Girl Detective Romp: Goldie Vance (Volume One) by Hope Larson, Brittney Williams, and Sarah Stern Review
Goldie Vance (Volume One) centers on a girl detective with a passion for cars, ideally fast ones. She’s the daughter of a hotel manager and a professional mermaid in Cold War-era Florida. Goldie is a friendly, outgoing, direct girl, and when she hears of a necklace gone missing in her dad’s hotel, she’s right on theRead More
A Sentimental Romance That Takes You for a Ride: Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz Review
Despite not reading reviews about Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz, I set my expectations high for this contemporary romance. Estranged childhood friends-to-lovers, a road trip, siblings, grief and healing, a dual timeline, and third person present tense? Maybe I have some specific selling points, but consider me sold.
A Noir Mystery with Angels and Demons: Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk Review
In 1940s Chicago, a serial killer known as the White City Vampire spreads fear as everyone wonders who his next victim will be. Helen Brandt, an exiled magician deemed a warlock for her crimes against the Brotherhood, is on the case. But as the mystery unfolds, her past comes back to haunt her, and sheRead More
Guilty as Sin?: A Review of Say A Little Prayer by Jenna Voris
Jenna Voris’s most recent novel, Say A Little Prayer (released March 4, 2025), follows stubborn, outspoken, theater kid, Riley, who has recently left her conservative small town church after coming out as bisexual. When Riley’s older sister, Hannah, is kicked out of the church for getting an abortion, Riley makes it her personal mission toRead More
The Little Things that Add Up: The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite Review
Olivia Waite’s The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows is the second book in her Feminine Pursuits historical romance series, and although they are connected loosely, one can easily start here. Waspish Widows centers on beekeeper Penelope and printer Agatha, two women in their 40s who form a deep friendship through caring for a colony of bees that happenedRead More
Grief, Uncertainty, and Fallen Angels: Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron Review
Jaya Mackenzie is grappling with the heavy weight of loss and confusion. Her mother has passed away, her ex-girlfriend disappeared without a trace, and the world is in chaos as angels fall from the sky at breakneck speeds, dying upon impact. Meanwhile, her father’s obsession with capturing one of these celestial beings pulls the familyRead More