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Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan
Bonus: She Gets the Girl by Alyson Derrick and Rachael Lippincott is set in college, not high school, but read it anyway
I keep seeing everyone posting about Jimmy Buffet's passing, and all I can think about is the summer job I had where the regional manager required us to listen to Jimmy Buffet and only Jimmy Buffet. Margaretaville triggers my fight or flight response.
Here is my list of recommended sapphic books! There’s a lot of YA here since that’s a lot of what I read. Everything on this list I have personally read and can recommend. I’m sure there’s a TON out there I haven’t read or ones I have read and have just forgotten!
Contemporary
Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake (Adult)
My favorite of Blake’s! Enemies to lovers. SO good.
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake (Adult)
A woman falls for her step-sister’s best friend. Oh, and there’s a kiddo in the mix as well.
The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth (YA)
Two girls promise a summer of fun full of rom-com worthy dates. The only rule, no relationships. Just one summer, nothing more. Sure....
Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick (YA)
Amnesia fic where a girl forgets she ever met her secret girlfriend in their ultra-conservative town.
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar (YA)
Fake dating between the girl who wants to validate her bisexuality to her friends and the girl who doesn’t mind the popularity boost.
Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen (YA)
Best friends to lovers! A big piece of this is also the friend group involved.
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli (YA)
Imogen thinks she’s just an Ally. Spoiler alert: she’s not. I loved the way friendship was explored in this. You see some really solid friendships as well as a subtly toxic one (that’s acknowledged as such).
Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen (YA)
An ode to late bloomers and a journey to self-acceptance. A girl goes to her first party, befriends a gay guy who introduces her to new group of friends and one really cute girl
Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum (YA)
Super fun involving a girl asking another girl fo “Queer 101″ lessons. Bi and Autistic rep too!
Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales (YA)
A girl gives anonymous love advice and gets hired by a hot guy to help him get his ex back. Really FANTASTIC bi rep!
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (Adult)
A sexy time-bendy romance with so much heart
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen (YA)
My FAVORITE rom-com. I reread it constantly. Fake dating, enemies-to-lovers between the cheer captain and basketball star!!
She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick (YA)
Two girl team up to get their crushes to fall for them and start developing feelings for each other along the way.
Six Times We Almost Kissed by Tess Sharpe (YA)
Childhood frenemies forced to move in together for their best friend moms’ sake. Trauma filled and SO SO good.
Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan (YA)
A fun rom-com between an out queer athlete and the local beauty pageant queen.
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (YA)
One of my favorite books of all time. A story about grief and friendship and love. A soft, quiet story.
Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall (YA)
A girl’s secret girlfriend dies and she is left to grieve alone until she finds herself turning to her girlfriend’s ex.
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Crier’s War by Nina Varela (YA)
A romance that leads to revolution by between two girls: one human, one Made
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (Adult)
This is historical and fantasy! Suffragette witches! Another one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time. Three sisters, one of them has a WLW romance
Thriller/Horror
Hide by Kiersten White (Adult)
A high-stakes hide and seek competition in an abandoned amusement park. One of my all-over favorite books of 2022.
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (YA)
No wlw romance in this one, but the main character and her sister are both wlw. My absolute favorite book of 2021. What I would pay to read this for the first time again.
The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe (YA)
The daughter of a con artist is finally allowed to stop running and faking her identity, only to get stuck in a bank heist with her ex-boyfriend and current girlfriend.
Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (YA)
Three girls who shouldn’t have a reason to team up together against an ancient evil. The new girl, the pariah, and the queen bee who’s been helping the evil all along. I have reread this book easy a dozen times.
Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos (YA)
When a girl goes searching for her missing best friend, she finds a trail of other missing girls and battles with heartbreak after her girlfriend leaves her for California.
Wilder Girls by Rory Power (YA)
Quarantined at her girl’s school after a gruseome Tox breaks out, a girl must find what happened to her best friend who’s gone missing
Historical
Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood (YA)
The queer Little Women retelling we all deserve with a SAPPHIC JO! Set in 1942. Beth’s POV still haunts my heart
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (YA)
Two of the major supporting characters are WLW. This becomes more important and on the page in the later books in this series, but this is the first one.
Music from Another World by Robin Talley (YA)
1970s California. Two girls become penpals and bond over music.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Adult)
Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo famously had seven husbands. This is the story of her wife.
So a lot of YA books don't reflect actual teenage/young adult lives and issues which I think is a big issue. A LOT of YA books have a heavy focus on romance, which is fine, but that means it can be hard to find books about literally anything else that happens in an adolescent's life like mental illness, friendships, college choices, hardships with school, any of these things but as a marginalized person. The YA books I read when I first started reading YA were not great and led me to develop not so great ideas about what I should be and do and what the world around me would be like and was all over not great for 8th grade me. So I want to start a thread listing good YA books.
If you see this, please please reblog with your recommendations.
Solitaire by Alice Oseman
Born This Way by Alice Oseman
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (really anything by Alice Oseman)
Not so Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
Fat Angie by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo
The Summer of Impossibilities by Rachael Allen
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (yes it's good YA, fight me)
Paring: Hyunjin x Felix
Genre: BL
Word Count: 687
Warnings: the content in this story may be +18 in later parts. Please consider it before reading.
When the cold hearted Prince of Fire meets sweet little sunsine, The King of Winter, everything changes.
Masterlist
Authors note: that’s the first BL story I have ever written in my life. I hope you would enjoy it. It’s not a long story it’s divided in six parts. There’s no Y/N here. The story is about Hyunjin and Felix. I was inspired by one TikTok I saw in winter.
“Love? What is love? It’s something unexpected that comes and goes. Sometimes it’s fast and warm like a summer rain, and sometimes it’s deep like an ocean. Love can be anything. It can be a word, a touch, a smell. You can love unconditionally or under the worst circumstances. But the truth about love is that you cannot force it. If you are meant to be, it will come. So let’s not force it, Felix. Let’s just it be.”
Lee Felix, THE KING. That was a new title that a young prince was going to have after his late father passed. He felt anxious. How was he going to do it? How would he manage it? Of course, he was being prepared to step into his father’s shoes since he was a little boy, but that was different. He wasn’t ready. He didn’t feel ready. Not yet.
His father passed away after the Winter Solstice Celebration, which was one of the most important festivals in Winter Heart City, the capital of The Winter Kingdom. Unfortunately, Felix was the only heir that actually could take after his father. His two sisters weren’t taken into consideration because of the current law that women cannot rule the state. Felix thought this was really unfair. His older sister Rachael was definitely a better candidate than he was.
He was trembling. His whole body didn’t want to cooperate. He was going to become a king, the most important person in the whole country. But somehow he felt as if he was about to collapse into the ground in a moment. What if he can’t make it? What if this role is too much? Deep down he knew, he had to gather up his guts and take what was his since birth.
“Oi Felix? Are you ready?” His personal guard and also best friend, asked, picking his head through the door.
“I guess so. I’m nervous Chan.” The young man sighed.
“Don’t worry, mate. You are the perfect person for this role, believe that.” Chan smiled warmly, stepping into Felix’s room. “My prince, it’s time.” He bowed with a sassy smile. He knew that Felix didn’t like the titles.
“I told you not to call me that.” Felix smiled slightly.
“Of course, your wish is my command.” He winked. “Should I call you My King then?”
“Oh fuck off.” Felix rolled his eyes and both men started laughing.
“But seriously Lix, we have to go like now. Everyone’s waiting.” Chan suddenly got serious. “You know, you are becoming a king, but the queen mother is still in charge… and she scares me.”
“You know my mother loves you, like her own son.” Felix remained him. After all, his parents adopted Chan when he was little.
“Doesn’t change the fact that she scares me.” Chan smiled a little. “Ready?”
“Yeah. Let’s do it.” The prince nodded and went after Chan, who led him to the throne room where the coronation was to take place. The new era for the Winter Kingdom has come.
—---------------------------
“Hey, Hyunjin! Hey! Have you heard?!” The loud voice was heard before his owner showed up. “Have you heard the news?!” The young man, panting, entered the slightly dark bedroom, where the other was currently painting.
“What Han?” The tall man rolled his eyes and looked annoyed at the man, who had entered his room. “What did I tell you about disturbing me when I paint?”
“Yeah, yeah I know. But this is important.” Han smiled a little and handed the tall one an elegant white envelope sealed with a gold seal. “It’s from The Winter Kingdom.” He explained.
“The Winter Kingdom?” Hyunjin stood up. “What is the occasion? They don’t like to play with us.”
“The king had passed away and apparently his son took after.” Han said, scratching the back of his neck. “At least that’s what I…”
“Yes, indeed.” Hyunjin interrupted him, reading the letter himself. “Hm, that’s interesting.”
“What? What is it?” Han was looking curiously.
“Apparently, we are invited to meet the new king.” Hyunjin smirked a little sassy. “What unexpected news it is! Prepare the carriage and let my brother and Changbin know. We are going to meet this new king of them.” He ordered nonchalantly.
“Yes sir!” Han bowed deeply.
“And Han?” Hyunjin raised one eyebrow looking at his younger friend. “Never disturb my painting ever again. Is that clear?” His voice was stern. Han swallowed the gulp that had formed in his throat.
“Y-yes my prince.” He said and quickly left Hyunjin’s bedroom to fulfill his duties. Sometimes Hyunjin was really scary.
I’ve only been an editor for a hot second, so while other editors might be like “ho hum, a blurb from a NYT bestselling author? just another day at the office” -- I am screaming, crying, etc. I am starstruck!
It is pretty freaking cool that YA authors I love to read have nice things to say about a book I edited. And it’s really fun to get to email these blurbs to the author (Jessica Mary Best!) and be like “hey! that’s you!! they’re talking about your writing!!!”
So that’s my unsolicited perspective on the whole thing. Without further ado, some praise for Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Mary Best:
"With lush worldbuilding, high stakes, and a page turning mystery, STARS, HIDE YOUR FIRES is impossible to put down. Brilliantly crafted and delightfully fast-paced."—Rachael Lippincott, coauthor of SHE GETS THE GIRL
"A delightfully, mischievous adventure full of intrigue, betrayal, and a touch of romance. Get ready to join your new favorite rebel crew." —Dahlia Adler, author of COOL FOR THE SUMMER
"A delightful and gripping space mystery with twists and more twists; a charming and unlikely detective team; an adorable, banter-y romance; and an extravagant sci-fi ball!"—Vanessa Len, author of ONLY A MONSTER
And if “queer Knives Out in space” sounds like your jam, then consider: pre-ordering Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Mary Best. Pre-orders are really important for the success of a book -- they signal to buyer accounts, booksellers, etc that this is a book they should be paying attention to. So if you do end up pre-ordering or requesting the book at your local library, thanks! I appreciate you.