By Simone Richter and Mimi Koehler
Welcome to the most beautiful month of the year, Pride Month! Usually, this month is packed with parades, events and festivals, but due to all of us #stay(ing)athome, Pride will have to find a way to take place online even more than the years before. But we are not The Nerd Daily for nothing, after all; we specialise in making the online world as welcoming, engaging, and inclusive as possible!
Let’s make this month as colourful as we can! To help you kick off, we present you: The LGBTQ+ Literary Alphabet. We will take each letter (and as many of the letters from the ‘+’ category as we can) and will recommend you some fantastically diverse books that are simply perfect for a good pride month read.
And we’ll start right here! Our letter today is: L as in Lesbian. We’ve divided our bookish recommendations into genres, so that every single one of you bookworms can find a book that fits your tastes and reading habits! From adult and YA, all the way to middle-grade fiction, we’ve got you covered!
Happy reading!
Adult Fiction
Carol by Patricia Highsmith | Goodreads
Patricia Highsmith’s story of romantic obsession may be one of the most important, but still largely unrecognized, novels of the twentieth century. First published in 1952 and touted as “the novel of a love that society forbids,” the book soon became a cult classic.
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters | Goodreads
With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to a plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways, but no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.
The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin | Goodreads
Even in the darkest of times, you cannot bury the truth . . . A debut historical novel that will appeal to fans of Sarah Waters and The Silent Companions.
Disobedience by Naomi Alderman | Goodreads
Steeped in Jewish philosophy and teachings, Disobedience is a perceptive and thoughtful exploration of the laws and practices that have governed Judaism for centuries, and continue to hold sway today. Throughout the novel, Alderman retells stories from the Torah — Judaism’s fundamental source — and the interplay between these tales and the struggles of the novel’s unique characters wields enormous power and wisdom, and will surely move readers to tears.
Young Adult Fiction
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth | Goodreads
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.
Juliet Takes A Breath by Gabby Rivera | Goodreads
A gutsy, queer YA coming-of-age story perfect for fans of The Poet X, Roxanne Gay and Feminists Don’t Wear Pink.
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan | Goodreads
Leila has made it most of the way through Armstead Academy without having a crush on anyone, which is a relief. As an Iranian-American, she’s different enough; if word got out that Leila liked girls, life would be twice as hard. But when beautiful new girl Saskia shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would. As she carefully confides in trusted friends about Saskia’s confusing signals, Leila begins to figure out that all her classmates are more complicated than they first appear to be, and some are keeping surprising secrets of their own.
The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth | Goodreads
Two girls embark on a summer of montage-worthy dates (with a few strings attached) in this hilarious and heartfelt lesbian rom-com that’s perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han.
Fantasy & Sci-Fi
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon | Goodreads
From the internationally bestselling author of The Bone Season, a trailblazing, epic high fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons – and the women who must lead the fight to save it.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone | Goodreads
Co-written by two award-winning writers, THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR is an epic love story spanning time and space.
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave | Goodreads
Gothic, intoxicating, feminist and romantic – this is the breathtakingly imagined untold story of the brides of Dracula, by bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave in her much-anticipated YA debut.
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron | Goodreads
This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.
Classics & Poetry
The Color Purple by Alice Walker | Goodreads
A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia. Deeply compassionate and beautifully imagined, Alice Walker’s epic carries readers on a spirit-affirming journey towards redemption and love.
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu | Goodreads
A classic Victorian vampire novella, which influenced Bram Stoker’s later treatment of the vampire mythos in Dracula. Secret fans of the fantastic YouTube adaptation of this novella may find themselves drawn in even further by the original novella that started it all.
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown | Goodreads
Bawdy and moving, the ultimate word-of-mouth bestseller, Rubyfruit Jungle is about growing up a lesbian in America–and living happily ever after.
Middle-Grade Fiction
In The Role of Brie Hutchens by Nicole Melleby | Goodreads
An own-voices LGBTQ novel from the acclaimed author of Hurricane Season, about eighth-grader Brie, who learns how to be true to herself and to her relationships with family, friends, and faith.
The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake | Goodreads
Twelve-year-old Sunny St. James navigates heart surgery, reconnections with a lost mother, first kisses, and emerging feelings for another girl.
Kenzie Kickstarts a Team by Kit Rosewater | Goodreads
A highly illustrated middle-grade series that celebrates new friendships, first crushes, and getting out of your comfort zone
Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake | Goodreads
In the wake of a destructive tornado, one girl develops feelings for another in this stunning, tender novel about emerging identity, perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish.
Love this!