Living alone in her late mother’s house in Zwolle, Isabel is a quiet and fiercely guarded woman. An uncle bequeathed the house to the family with the understanding that whenever Isabel’s brother Louis married, he would inherit it. Isabel resides there now under a type of suspended claim—that of a caretaker, but not owner. LouisRead More
A TBR Shame Spiral in Six Titles
As a librarian, my TBR (to-be-read) shelf is never ending. Every time I think I am going to crack down on my whole bookshelf of unread books, something amazing comes through the returns chute, or my VERY well-meaning coworkers share something that they think I will love (most times they are right on the money)Read 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.
3 Sapphic Books I Rated 3 Stars (That You Might Rate 5 Stars)!
One of the biggest struggles I have as a reviewer for the Lesbrary is wanting to present only the sapphic stories that I believe to be the best. I am very much aware that I am a consumer, not a creator, and that if asked to create an original story, I would not fare nearlyRead More
A Disabled Jewish Lesbian Time Loop Story: Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield
I love a time loop story, so I had to pick up up this sapphic YA take on the trope—especially one with with fat and disabled characters on the cover! In the first chapter, Phoebe is living August 6th for the 26th time in a row. Every day is the same, and every day sheRead More
Queer Joy at the IBD Support Group: The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow
Buy this from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and the Lesbrary! And you think you have a lot of crap to deal with! The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow is the story of twelve-year-old Al Schneider, whose life is moving at far too fast a pace—and so are her intestines.Read More
When Your Hyperfixation is Sapphic Books: A Shortlist of Sapphic Autistic Narratives
I recently read a report from the University of Cambridge about how autistic people are more likely to be queer than allistic people, with specifically autistic female-identifying people being three times as likely to identify as some form of queer. If you are interested in reading more about this, you can read the abstract. ThisRead More
A Holiday Romance with Depth: Season of Love by Helena Greer
Buy this from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and the Lesbrary! Every year, I intend to read a bunch of queer holiday romances in December, but I don’t usually follow through with it. The holiday romances that I have read were often flops, which doesn’t help. This year, I gathered together my collection of sapphicRead More
Sliding Doors, But Make It Bisexual: Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler
Buy this from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and the Lesbrary! I watched Sliding Doors as a kid and was enthralled by the idea of watching a life play out in two different ways based on branching out from a single event. I suppose it was my introduction to the concept of parallel universes. SoRead More
A Queer M/F Romance of Healing and Reconciliation: A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee
Bookshop.org Affiliate Link This novel is a masterful exploration of various themes, ranging from consent and communication during intimate moments to faith, substance abuse, and power dynamics. The author’s ability to delve into these topics with depth and sensitivity truly impressed me. The novel shines in its approach to consent and communication during sexual encounters.Read More