This autumn, we’re lucky enough to have several different books to choose from for our lesbian reading lists. From a series of essays from a butch storyteller to a Booker Prize nominee, there is more than enough to keep you satiated this season.
Who wrote it: Lesbian poet and novelist Eileen Myles
Why you should read it: It’s a well-written portrait of a lesbian trying to live as an artist in New York City during the 1970s.
Who will like it: Fans of Diane di Prima’s work, Michelle Tea’s Valencia and Sarah Schulman’s Girls, Visions and Everything.
Who wrote it: Butch storyteller and performance artist Ivan E. Coyote
Why you should read it: The book is comprised of essays on being a butch, being in a relationship, and being a good person. It’s a quick read with lots to say.
Who will like it: Queer people of all kinds; people who come from small towns; Canadians; traveling bards.
Who wrote it: Actress Portia Degeneres
Why you should read it: It’s a no-holdes-barred look into Portia’s mind at the beginning of her career when her sexuality and her eating disorder were well-kept secrets.
Who will like it: Closeted women; Ally McBeal fans; public figures who have something to hide; people who have body dysmorphia or related disorders that are looking for relatable text to not feel so alone.
Who wrote it: Superior Court Judge Martha E. Bellinger
Why you should read it: It’s a telling tale of one woman’s determination to be out in the 1970s and maintain a successful law career.
Who will like it: Feminists; lesbians with political aspirations; Christians; equality activists.
Who wrote it: Irish writer Emma Donoghue
Why you should read it: It’s one of the best works of fiction this year. It follows a young boy and his mother forced to live in a single room for five years.
Who will like it: People who like Nightline or true crime TV shows; single mothers; anyone who doesn’t mind reading from the perspective of a 5-year-old.
Who wrote it: British young adult author Matthew Yorke
Why you should read it: 17-year-old Lily is a club kid that ends up in a brief relationship with another girl named Sula.
Who will like it: Teenage bisexual females; lesbians who enjoy reminiscing about times past when they did drugs and went dancing.
Who wrote it: Straight novelist Joyce Hinnefeld
Why you should read it: A southern black woman named Mary Elizabeth (M.E. for short) tries to seduce her roommate but isn’t successful.
Who will like it: Bible belt gay girls; daughters with mommy issues; lesbians who love straight women; gay co-eds.
Who wrote it: Canadian writer Gabriella Goliger
Why you should read it: It’s about a Jewish girl, Antonia Goldblatt, coming of age (and coming out) in Montreal in the 1960s.
Who will like it: Those interested in the aftermath of the Holocaust; Canadians; butch girls; reformed hippies; Middle Eastern lesbians.
Who wrote it: Later-in-life lesbians
Why you should read it: Full disclosure – I’m one of the essayists. But besides that, it’s full of great pieces from women of all ages and places that discovered their true sexual orientation after having relationships with men.
Who will like it: Questioning and curious women, people who like to hear others’ coming out stories; families and friends of people who are in the book.
Who wrote it: Nurse-turned-novelist Ana Corman
Why you should read it: It’s a love story about a down-on-her-luck bookstore owner and an intriguing oncologist.
Who will like it: Professional women; women who work in bookstores; lesbians who like Radclyffe or other romance novels.
Who wrote it: Sexually ambiguous writer Sara Marcus
Why you should read it: It’s a detailed history of riot grrrl with mentions of the lesbians involved in the movement.
Who will like it: Fans of Bikini Kill, Team Dresch and Tribe 8; feminists; riot grrls from back when; lesbian historians; those nostalgic for the ’90s.
