10 Great Lesbian Books

Here are the 10 Best Lesbian Books as decreed by… Well, ME! This list is great for a number of things: it can inspire gifts for lesbians; it can promote reading to lesbians who are new to the scene; or just boost your own reading list. It was not easy to whittle down my beloved books to just 10 best lesbian books, but after much deliberation and agonising, it is done.

They are in order from my most absolutely favourite/amazing/best at number one down to ten that is perhaps just a teeny bit less favourite than number one but not much. I adore all of these books and have read them each a number of times. They are completely unique and the only commonality among the bunch is how awesome they are, and of course, that they are lesbian books (making them all the more superior). Also, if you must know, they have an element of romance in them because life without love is just not worth it. Starting at number…

1. Christabel by Karin Kallmaker
Number one in my 10 Best Lesbian Books list is a somewhat otherworldly tale of romance and evil that seeks to destroy it.

This book speaks of longing across many lifetimes. It is magnificently written, a completely unique take on the subject matter with a great set of characters.

This is my favourite lesbian novel, which is saying a lot, considering how many I have read over the years.

Charitable was originally published under a pen name because it is so different from Kallmaker’s normal works, so it took me a while to get my hands on it. Bless Kindle for coming to my rescue. Since I bought it, I have read it several times already and am sure that I will read it several more before I am done.

2. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
This is a dramatic look at two women from very different background falling for each other but being kept apart by their own roles in a con. It is a beautiful, poignant book that will stay with you.

3. Shell Game by Benny Lawrence
A pirate queen, a beautiful captive with a secret and some high seas adventures told in a witty, tongue-in-cheek manner. I adore Benny Lawrence’s work. She is always original and brilliantly witty. Of her books this one is my favourite and it absolutely deserves to be on my 10 Best Lesbian Books list.

4. The Magistrate/The Procuress by Keira Michelle Telford
Okay, I cheated. This is one listing for two books. But it’s okay my wife will spank me for it later.

These two books are part of a series and the one story follows directly to the other, so in essence it is one story. Plus there are so many wondrous lesbian books out there, how can you make me choose only ten for my 10 Best Lesbian Books? The Magistrate and The Procuress tell the story about London in a post apocalyptic sort of space. There is just enough steam punk in the book to make enthusiasts of the movement quiver in their breeches. The Procuress by Keira Michelle TelfordThe story is about a magistrate (law enforcer) and the madam of a cathouse. They have a history but haven’t seen each other in years. They are reunited by the murder of one of the madam’s whores. Naturally sparks fly. Unfortunately, same sex love is strictly outlawed and punishable by death.

5. Tomorrows Promise by Radclyffe
This book is set on an island and both characters are as restless as the sea. Tanner is an heiress to the Whitley fortune and Adrianne is a marine escaping from her life. The two meet and are drawn together. They both have baggage and can’t help but mess things up. Loads of drama for those who love the – will they/wont they get together tug of war in lesbian romance novels.

6. Sword of the Guardian/Prayer of the Handmaiden by Merry Shannon
I decided to pair these books because they really tell one story and it is far more complete when you read both books. Technically they can each stand alone, but as with all things lesbian, we pair/couple/multiple is more fulfilling. Sword of the Guardian is a love story between a princess and her security guard who is secretly a woman. The princess balks when she finds out that her hero is actually her heroine. This is an epic, fun adventure story filled with sword fighting, horse riding and spunky women. The world is magnificently built for you without over explaining.

Prayer of the Handmaiden is a follow up to Sword of the Guardian in that it takes place right after the first book, in the same world. This time, however, the main characters from Sword of the Guardian play side characters and the side characters from the first book play main characters. Prayer of the Handmaiden is a gentler, more internal story than Sword of the Guardian. However, it is equally brilliantly written. It is not easy to write a really good story where a character is so torn between doing what is right and what her heart is telling her to do, yet Merry Shannon makes it seem effortless.

7. Keepers of the Cave/Weeping Walls by Gerri Hill
Oops, I did it again. I paired up the books and this time it is even more of a cheat than the previous times because while these are about the same characters, they are two completely unique stories.

The main characters of both these books are FBI agents and in the first book the ladies find the passion between them too much to resist and in the second book they are together as a couple. Both stories are X files type cases. The first is about a missing girl, a monster in a cave and a cult of people who worship the monster.

The second is about a haunted house. Intrigued yet? Well, you should be. These are both fantastic books.

8. Lucifer Rising by Sharon Bowers
A former DEA agent becomes a powerful drug dealer after taking over a cartel she was chasing. A reporter, fascinated by the ex DEA agent pretends to bump into the drug dealer at a night club. There is an instant attraction. What happens when the drug dealer finds out that the woman she is sleeping with is actually a reporter?

9. Reflected Passion by Erica Lawson
A woman who refurbishes furniture buys an old mirror from an antique store. She is drawn to the mirror and hangs it on her wall. One night she wakes up to hear sounds of passion. Following the sounds she sees that her mirror has become a sort of window into another time and place. A French woman is staring back at her from the other side. Reflected Passion is a romance that spans ages and takes you back to a time when women were not safe without a man. Book Excerpt My attention turned back to the wood as I slid my hands over the frame. Images flashed into my mind of a raven-haired woman. Her piercing dark eyes looked into my very soul to extract each and every secret I had hidden, even from myself.

10. That Certain Something by Clare Ashton
This is a delightful, quirky romance with a boatload of angst thrown in for good measure. This is my favourite of Ashton’s books. It manages a lightness not generally present in her work. The characters are well written and believable. The book is filled with moments so lovely you wish you could frame them and keep looking at them.

I hope you enjoy these, and if there are any that you haven’t read then you must add them to your pile of must read books.

Source: Sout Africa Queer Life