Get ready to add books to your TBR pile!
As the end of the year draws near, we have one question we want to ask book lovers the world over. What were your top 5 sapphic reads of 2023?
Luckily our readers like to share! We look forward to passing along these recommendations to you daily into the new year.
It’s not too late to submit your own top reads and get in on the fun. Click here for the form. Our only rules are that authors may not submit their own books and your list needs to be new-to-you books that were read (not necessarily published) in 2023.
Here are Duc’s top sapphic reads of 2023:
1. On the Same Page by Haley Cass
Best friends to lovers is one of my favourite genres. Honestly gorgeous work with beautifully described moments of intimacy, whether familial, platonic, or romantic.
2. Destination You by J. J. Arias
I’ve learned so much about the Cuban diaspora in Miami from Arias’s books. Not to mention the oppressiveness of the Miami humidity! I just love these kinds of details. Taylor and Raquel is one of my favourite age-gap couples. They fit so well together. Taylor turns an act of service—her care for Raquel’s father—into a truly romantic gesture.
3. A Whisper of Solace by Milena McKay
There’s something so epic about this story. Everything is big: the world of a Hollywood, the emotions, the actions of the characters. I was utterly fascinated and absorbed by Neve and Audrey’s love story. McKay is so very clever too, but not pretentiously so. And that runaway bride scene was extraordinary.
4. Pivot by Anna Pulley
Pulley is one of the funniest writers I’ve read. She has a strong awareness of the absurd: we get cosplaying combined with rejection, along with costumes and ice dancing. Politically she’s super aware of the need for diversity: her characters exemplify the diversity of the queer community. This sorry had heart with an inclusive bent.
5. Those Who Wait by Those Who Wait
A story for and about disaster sapphics, which is as long as Ulysses but much more entertaining. What a debut novel! “Stunning” Charlotte Thompson is my favourite character—an ambitious person and unintentional romantic who knows how to win the girl. I’m hoping the final chapter makes it into a film—I squealed with delight. This entire novel should be adapted to the big screen.
