If you've been looking for a great, newish work of queer literature, look no further. I've got 21 great lesbian novels you need to read pronto, as recommended by redditors on the Suggest Me a Book subreddit. These knowledgeable readers responded to Fantastic Elk's request for "Books with lesbian characters and their D&D quests. Books about lesbian characters and their pets. Books about lesbian characters and the end of the universe. Books about lesbian characters who are archaeologists and study raptors," and they truly delivered.
Although same-sex relationships between female main characters remain few and far between in contemporary literature, Reddit's suggestions for lesbian-themed novels show that books about women who love women are much easier to find now than they were years ago. Best of all, there are plenty of stories, available on store shelves today, that focus on lesbians and bisexual women who are POC, disabled, and non-binary, so you don't have to worry that every F/F romance you pick up will be about cisgender white ladies.
Check out the 21 fantastic lesbian novels Reddit has recommended for your summer reading list below:
'The Terracotta Bride' by Zen Cho
Life in an elite corner of hell isn't all that great for Siew Tsin, one of the wives of the wealthiest man around. But when her husband marries a terracotta robot named Yonghua, Siew Tsin begins to feel a new, different sort of attachment to her husband's wife.
'My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness' by Nagata Kabi
This autobiographical manga explores the author's sexuality, beginning with her first sexual encounter, which took place with a female sex worker in a Japanese love hotel at the age of 28, and then backing up to trace the decade of adulthood that led her to that moment.
'We Are Okay' by Nina LaCour
Months after she wordlessly left home to attend college in New York, Marin dreads her reunion with Mabel, the best friend she left behind in California, who may once have been more than a friend.
'Daughter of Mystery' by Heather Rose Jones
The first in a series of romance novels set in an alternate version of the early 19th century, Daughter of Mystery centers on Margerit, an heiress who has inherited her godfather's fortune, but not his title. With a jealous new Baron Saveze eyeing her wealth, the only thing protecting Margerit from his retaliation is Barbara, the late Baron's bodyguard.
'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet' by Becky Chambers
Focusing on the relationships between workers tasked with tunnelling out the space for an intergalactic highway system, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet pays particular attention to an interspecies lesbian couple.
'The Stars Are Legion' by Kameron Hurley
Featuring an all-female cast, The Stars Are Legion centers on Zan, an amnesiac who has been told that she has the power to get her family onto Mokshi, the ship that will allow them to escape from the war-torn colony of Legion.
'Annie John' by Jamaica Kincaid
A coming-of-age story set in Antigua, Annie John follows its heroine through her childhood and into adolescence, when her relationship with her mother becomes strained.
'The Raven and the Reindeer' by T. Kingfisher
A retelling of a Hans Christian Andersen classic, The Raven and the Reindeer follows Gerta, who must save her best friend Kay when he is kidnapped by the Snow Queen.
'Nevada' by Imogen Binnie
'Perfect Rhythm' by Jae
Star musician Leontyne Blake has a tough time meeting women who don't want her for her image, but she might have found exactly the right person for her in Holly, her father's nurse, who happens to be asexual.
'Karen Memory' by Elizabeth Bear
This steampunk novel centers on Karen, a young sex worker, who gets involved with a woman on the run from a mind-controlling psychopath in Seattle.
'Totally Worth It' by Maggie Cummings
When Meg moves into Bay West, a lesbian community in the suburbs of New York City, she realizes that finding someone to spend the rest of her life with need not come at the expense of her career.
'Pulp' by Robin Talley
In 1955 Washington, D.C., young adults Janet and Marie must keep their sexuality a secret as Sen. Joseph McCarthy's pursuit of communists and homosexuals rages on.
'A Private Life' by Ran Chen
After her family is torn apart by the Cultural Revolution, Ni Niuniu retreats into her own private world, feeling that she is unable to cope with the upheaval happening outside her home.
'Marriage of a Thousand Lies' by SJ Sindu
Sri Lankan-Americans Lucky and Krishna present picture-perfect happiness to their conservative relatives, but each one knows the other is gay, and have opened their marriage up to outside partners. But when Lucky reconnects with her first lover, Nisha, the carefully structured image she and Krishna have created might come crashing down.
'Creatures of Will & Temper' by Molly Tanzer
Evadne discovers a world of magic and mayhem hidden beneath Victorian London in this novel from Vermilion author Molly Tanzer.
'The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angeles)' by Amy Spalding
Abby isn't looking for love. In fact, she's quite content to run her plus-size fashion blog and pursue a stylish career. But when she lands an internship at a local boutique and falls for fellow intern Jordi, who is her opposition in the contest to win a job at the store, Abby's simple life gets complicated.
'The Second Mango' by Shira Glassman
The first book in Shira Glassman's Mangoverse series centers on Shulamit, a reluctant, 20-year-old monarch who finds the friend she needs in Rivka, a fierce warrior who pretends to be a man.
'The Cybernetic Tea Shop' by Meredith Katz
Sal is a true artificial intelligence, the last of a dying, outlawed breed, and she's gone downhill since the death of her old master. Then robot specialist Clara wanders into Sal's place of business, and their lives may never be the same.
'Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel' by Sara Farizan
Leila's Iranian-American heritage makes her stand out at her private school, so she's thankful that she hasn't been forced to come out to her classmates. Then a new student named Saskia arrives, and Leila begins to confide in her friends as she tumbles into infatuation.
'Cottonmouths' by Kelly J. Ford
After flunking out of college, Emily returns home to the Ozarks, where she reunites with Jody, her old crush. Jody's new baby needs a sitter, and Emily is more than happy to take on the role, but the meth lab in Jody's backyard could cause problems for everyone.
