‘Abandon Me’ by Melissa Febos
Abandon Me is a fierce exploration of love and obsession
‘The Kissing Booth Girl and Other Stories’ by A.C. Wise
The Kissing Booth Girl and Other Stories is achingly smart, sad, and weird in equal measure
‘Vow of Celibacy’ by Erin Judge
Vow of Celibacy, stand-up comedian Erin Judges dishy debut novel, plunges the reader directly into the world of Natalie—bisexual, plus-sized fashion maven, and undertaker of the titular vow.
‘The Cosmopolitans’ by Sarah Schulman
Sarah Schulman has given us a finely tuned, clever, and remarkably contemporary historical novel
‘Vienna’ by William S. Kirby
Vienna brings together the crime and intelligence of a Holmes story but with a twist: “Sherlock” and “Watson” appear as women—Vienna and Justine, respectively—and to further twist the usual, the unlikely duo are lovers
‘Love Not Given Lightly: Profiles from the Edge of Sex’ by Tina Horn
Love Not Given Lightly is compelling and oh-so-readable. Whether you know of and partake of this world or not, Horn’s portraits are deeply moving in their tender look at human sexuality and connection.
Author Quintan Ana Wikswo on the Limitations and Power of Labels
“Primarily, I wanted to see if I could write a book in which issues of love, erotics, desire, and sex could be momentarily liberated from conventional categorizations of gender identity.”
‘Sphinx’ by Anne Garréta
Sphinx, on the surface, is a standard story of love and loss. But that’s about all that’s standard here. You won’t get past the first page without asking questions, and by the time you turn the last one, you’ll be no closer to an answer
‘Apocalypse Baby’ by Virginie Despentes
Apocalypse Baby, in the end, is a demanding read; Despentes’ words, plot, and ideas are contentious, confrontational, and very purposefully so.
‘The Gracekeepers’ by Kirsty Logan
It’s easy to lose yourself in The Gracekeepers. Logan’s rich tapestry of characters and storylines, her deft language and her exquisitely built world add up to a deep, intriguing, and accessible novel.
