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 Ry Herman’s top sapphic reads of 2023:
1. Nettleblack by Nat Reeve
This book honestly shouldn’t work as well as it does. Somehow, it all comes together into a story that’s messy but enjoyable, one that takes the writing conventions of the 19th century and makes them more far diverse and far more queer.
2. If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude
A book about depression, queer love, and the end of the world. And about people coming together just as everything else falls apart. The main characters are beautifully written, and even the minor ones are memorable.
3. I’m Sorry You Feel That Way by Rebecca Wait
I picked this one up on the strength of the title, and I’m so glad I did. What a delight! Funny, painful, and at times too recognizable — I found myself laughing at one college-aged character a little unkindly only to realize a moment later that I’d done the exact same thing when I was in my twenties. This book is perfect for anyone whose family is, well, not at all perfect.
4. Now She is Witch by Kirsty Logan
Powerful, lyrical, and vivid. A story about the choices women are constrained to make, the stories they are forced to live, and the tangled path towards breaking free. I loved it, as I’ve loved everything Kirsty Logan has written.
5. The Infinite by Ada Hoffmann
A fantastic conclusion to an epic, innovative trilogy. There are many praises I could heap upon it, from its empathetic moral compass to its continuing examination of nonneurotypicality. Also, I highly approve of the idea that if you have access to time travel on the brink of an imminent crisis, you should use it to take a long vacation first.
