This is the gay pride flag. I would like to point out that it is AWESOME.
June is National Pride Month, which everyone–gay or straight–can celebrate. A perfect way to support Pride Month, and the GLBT community, is through GLBT books: by buying them, reading them, requesting them from the library and talking about them, you are getting the visibility out there, and are supporting the community, which is fabulous and wonderful.
As a lesbian author, I understand how deeply important it is to talk about my own book, The Dark Wife, because talking about it is getting it out there. There simply is not as great of an audience for GLBT literature as there is for straight–and any help bridging that gap is extraordinarily appreciated.
I thought, then, for Pride Month, I would compile a list of some of my favorite GLBT books–some you may have heard of, some you may not have, all ridiculously excellent and wonderful. By spreading the word about GLBT books, you widen the audience and bridge the gap and divide between “straight” and “gay”–pick up one of the following and get the dialogue going! ❤
– Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller
One of my favorite books of all time–Little House on the Prairie, with lesbians.
– Silver Kiss by Naomi Clark
Lesbian werewolves, awesomely written. That, right there, is reason enough to clutch this book to your bosom, I promise.
– Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
A mad house in the Victorian era, and a courageous young woman who finds herself in the midst of it all. Heartbreakingly beautiful.
– Roses and Thorns by Chris Anne Wolfe
A lesbian retelling of “Beauty and the Beast.” One of the most beautiful books I have ever read.
– Ash by Malinda Lo
A lesbian retelling of “Cinderella.” Beautiful.
– Anything by Sarah Waters. Trust me on this one.
What are some of your favorite GLBT novels? Please share in the comments~
~Sarah
Muse Rising 
I have a lot of love for Tipping the Velvet. LL Raand’s The Midnight Hunt is awesome too. Oh! And Mercedes Lackey’s Magic books (Magic’s Pawn was the first, I think?) And I’m desperately trying to remember the name of a book I read as a teenager about a gay man falling for his ex’s son… I’m sure it was called Spellbound, but Amazon is being decidedly unhelpful!
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Oh my goodness, I LOVED Lackey’s Magic books! I think I read them when I was eleven (I WAS WAY AHEAD OF MY TIME XD), and it was my first glimpse of someone who was gay. I was a pretty sheltered kid, and reading those books opened up my world. Oh my goodness, I had almost forgotten about that. 🙂 ❤
I haven't read The Midnight Hunt, but it’s totally on my list now!
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ULTIMATE NUMBER ONE FAVORITE FOREVER (besides The Dark Wife):
– Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller–I’ve read this book many times, and it never fails to fill me with a rush of inspiration and awe.
Other recommendations:
– Tipping the Velvet and Affinity by Sarah Waters–I’m drawn to Victorian-era lesbian stories like a bee to a flower. I wasn’t quite as fond of Fingersmith, though.
– Wildthorn by Jane Eagland–see above. 🙂
– The Gemma Doyle series (starting with A Great and Terrible Beauty) by Libba Bray–make sure to read all three books.
– Pembroke Park by Michelle Martin–if you’ve ever wished Jane Austen had written lesbian characters, read this. 🙂
– Roses and Thorns by Chris Anne Wolfe
– Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey
– Bittersweet by Nevada Barr–there were moments that destroyed me, or angered me, but other moments that I truly loved. Very sad book.
– House at Pelham Falls by Brenda Weathers–ghost story
– Accidental Creatures by Anne Harris–lesbian science fiction
– Libyrinth by Pearl North–young adult fantasy
I’m kind of sad that this list is so short.
I’ve read many other lesbian novels (including all of the classics and the coming-out novels for teens) but none that I especially loved. We need more good stories.
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I see what you did thar. ;D <3333 *LOVE*
Oh, yes, TOTALLY on Pembroke Park! I loved that book~ 🙂 AND I STILL NEED TO READ LIBYRINTH, I KNOW, I KNOW. 😀 <3333
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Affinity by Sarah Waters is absolutely fabulous, if you ask me 🙂 I very much second your Sarah Waters recommendation!
And thank you for giving me more ideas for books to pick up–I’m always looking for book recommendations 😀
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Anytime! 🙂 ❤
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Vintage – A Ghost Story (http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Ghost-Story-Steve-Berman/dp/1560236310/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307550079&sr=1-1) was very enjoyable because it really spoke to the issues that Gay Teens face, such as becoming homeless when their parents learn about their preferences, etc.
And I haven’t read it in years upon years, but I remember that The Drowning of Stephen Jones (http://www.amazon.com/Drowning-Stephan-Jones-Bette-Greene/dp/0785701389/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307549905&sr=8-1) made me cry.
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Oh my goodness, I’ve not heard of Vintage, and it looks AMAZING. Totally adding to my list~ 🙂 ❤
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It is – it’s serious (like I said, Teens will identify perfectly with it) yet totally adorkable fluff in some areas. 🙂 ♥
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Oh my gosh, so happy–I can’t wait to read it~ ❤
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My favourites (because I have not read many).. are The Dark Wife (OMG I WONDER WHO WROTE THAT) and Sword of the Guardian by Merry Shannon.
Naomi Kritzer has some tantilizing lesbian undertones in Fires of the Faithful and Freedom’s Gate.
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MWAH~ <3333
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Lilac Mines by Cheryl Klein
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It sounds amazing! I’ve totally added it to me “To Be Read” list–thank you so much for sharing!
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I know that it’s not really a “Lesbian Book” because it’s so much more, but The Color Purple by Alice Walker, tears every single time when she finds her sexuality hasn’t been destroyed…
And I just wanted to let you know that last night I dreamt that The Dark Wife had been made into a play, with really elaborate sets and costumes and wire work, and it had a “Greek Chorus” and your sister (Um, Sarah’s sister now that Jenn is writing her too) was playing Persephone. I was anxiously waiting for it to start and I realized that nearly every friend or acquaintance I’ve ever had in my whole life was there to see it too. It was standing room only. Then I woke up before it started, but what a happy dream!
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Oh my goodness, that made my day, Neva~ ❤ Thank you so much for sharing!!! 🙂
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Can I offer the token gay boy rec? ‘Rainbow Boys’ by Alex Sanchez. They are more but that is what I can think of off the top of my head right now.
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Of course! I’ll never forget how I got my first copy, at a library book sale. I was relatively young at the time, if I recall correctly, and I was SO EXCITED that I’d found it. 🙂
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just wanted to say I too loved the Gemma Doyle trilogy – and not just cause my name is Gemma 🙂 🙂
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❤ It's amazing! Libba Bray has my lifelong love and loyalty. 🙂
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