Sapphic Books by Authors of Colour

Would you look at that?? Another sapphic recommendation post on our blog? Who’d have thought. Anyways, enjoy this super long post with lots of amazing sapphic books by authors of colour!! – Sasha and Amber ❤

(click the photo to go to the goodreads page if you want to check any of these books out!!)

 

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It’s the highest honor they could hope for…and the most demeaning. This year, there’s a ninth. And instead of paper, she’s made of fire.

 

 

The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Tokunda-Hall

A desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter find a connection on the high seas in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.

 

 

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this stunning fantasy adventure from debut author Charlotte Nicole Davis. Five girls embark on a journey to find freedom, justice and revenge – in a world that wants girls like them to have none of those things.

 

 

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

In a dual narrative novel in verse that brims with both grief and love, award-winning and bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.

 

 

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

An absolutely gorgeous novel of rebellion and politics that discusses immigration, class and feminism in a powerful way with a stunning, sapphic, rivals-to-lovers romance at its centre. Exciting, important and loveable.

 

 

We Didn’t Ask for This by Ali Alsaid

Central International School’s annual lock-in is legendary. Bonds are made. Contests are fought. Stories are forged that will be passed down from student to student for years to come. Every year, lock-in night changes lives. This year, it might just change the world.

 

 

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

Told in alternative viewpoints and inspired by classic romantic comedies, this engaging and edgy YA novel follows two strong-willed young women falling for each other despite themselves

 

 

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

A captivating and utterly original fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse…

 

 

 

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

A stunning and original feminist retelling of the original story of Cinderella where a girl must flee her hometown in order to avoid marrying a man when she is in love with her best friend, Erin.

 

 

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

Rukhsana realizes she must find the courage to fight for her love, but can she do so without losing everyone and everything in her life?

 

 

 

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this rom-com about two teen girls with rival henna businesses. Jaigirdar’s novel is a gorgeously-written story of coming out, rising above others and falling in love.

 

 

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

You Should See Me in A Crown by Leah Johnson is a bright, gorgeous and joyful story of first love and friendship that perfectly blends clichés with uniqueness to create an absolutely wonderful and effervescent book.

 

 

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco

Frozen meets Mad Max in this epic teen fantasy duology bursting with star-crossed romance, immortal heroines, and elemental magic, perfect for fans of Furyborn.

 

 

 

The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante

This stunning YA debut is a timely and heartfelt speculative narrative about healing, faith, and freedom. A powerful story of grief, immigration, mental health and newfound relationships.

 

 

The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

This book tells the story of Lil, a traveller girl and one of a half, and her twin Kizzy when they’re kidnapped from their traveller settling and sold as servants to the local lord. This book is gorgeously gothic and dark without being too bloody or horror-like. 

 

 

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

A love letter to the craft and romance of film and fate in front of—and behind—the camera from the award-winning author of Hold Still.

 

 

 

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Really Feel by Sara Farizan

High-school junior Leila has made it most of the way through Armstead Academy without having a crush on anyone, which is something of a relief. But when a sophisticated, beautiful new girl, Saskia, shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would.

 

 

The Stars and Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

Told in two distinct and irresistible voices, Junauda Petrus’s bold and lyrical debut is the story of two black girls from very different backgrounds finding love and happiness in a world that seems determined to deny them both

 

 

 

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

In a community that isn’t always understanding, an HIV-positive teen must navigate fear, disclosure, and radical self-acceptance when she falls in love–and lust–for the first time.

 

 

The Deep by Rivers Soloman

The water-breathing descendants of African slave women tossed overboard have built their own underwater society—and must reclaim the memories of their past to shape their future in this brilliantly imaginative novella inspired by the song “The Deep” from Daveed Diggs’ rap group Clipping.

 

 

The Weight of Stars by K. Ancrum

In K. Ancrum’s signature poetic style, this slow-burn romance will have you savoring every page. Every night without fail, Alexandria waits to catch radio signals from her mother. And its up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof day after day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something more . . .

 

 

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Temaki

A graphic novel that asks us to consider what happens when we ditch the toxic relationships we crave to embrace the healthy ones we need.

 

 

 

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert

As she settles into her old life after coming home from boarding school, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new…the same girl her brother is in love with. When his disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself–or worse.

 

 

It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura

Sana always figured that the hardest thing would be to tell people that she wants to date a girl, but as she quickly learns, telling the truth is easy… what comes after it, though, is a whole lot more complicated. 

 

 

Ghost Girl in the Corner by Daniel José Older

Set between the New York Times-bestselling Shadowshaper and its upcoming sequel Shadowhouse Fall, this beautiful novella of mystery, love and loss will draw you deep into Daniel José Older’s magical Brooklyn.

 

 

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

 

 

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

In an empire controlled by bone shard magic, Lin, the former heir to the emperor will fight to reclaim her magic and her place on the throne. The Bone Shard Daughter marks the debut of a major new voice in epic fantasy.  

 

 

Eight Pieces of Silva by Patrice Lawrence

From the multi-award-winning author of Orangeboy, an addictive mystery that refuses to let you go long after you turn the final page. Can Becks piece the jigsaw together and find her sister before Silva loses herself?

 

 

The Rise of Kyoshi by F. C. Yee

The first of two novels based on Kyoshi, The Rise of Kyoshi maps her journey from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar. 

 

 

Becoming Dinah by Kit De Waal

A YA coming-of-age road trip novel about obsession, self-discovery, female power, and the people we meet along the way – by Costa Award shortlisted author Kit de Waal. The perfect read for anyone who’s ever wondered where they came from and where they might be going next.

 

 

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole

While her boss the prince was busy wooing his betrothed, Likotsi had her own love affair after swiping right on a dating app. But her romance had ended in heartbreak, and now, back in NYC again, she’s determined to rediscover her joy–so of course she runs into the woman who broke her heart.

 

 

Ash by Malinda Lo

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

 

 

Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro

From the award-winning author Mark Oshiro comes a powerful fantasy novel about finding home and falling in love amidst the dangers of a desert where stories come to life.

 

 

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.

 

 

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky.

 

 

 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.

 

 

Hurricane Child by Kherynn Callender

Being born during a hurricane is unlucky, and 12-year-old Caroline has had her share of bad luck lately. She’s hated and bullied by everyone in her small school on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, a spirit only she can see won’t stop following her, and — worst of all — Caroline’s mother left home one day and never came back.

 

 

Miss Meteor by Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia

There hasn’t been a winner of the Miss Meteor beauty pageant who looks like Lita Perez or Chicky Quintanilla in all its history. But that’s not the only reason Lita wants to enter the contest, or why her ex-best friend Chicky wants to help her.

 

 

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

With her newly completed PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a girls’ trip to Vegas to celebrate. She’s a straight A, work-through-the-summer certified high achiever. She is not the kind of person who goes to Vegas and gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn’t know…until she does exactly that.

 

 

Lobizona by Romina Garber

Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who’s on the run from her father’s Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida. Until Manu’s protective bubble is shattered.

 

 

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

Welcome to Andover… where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Just ask high school nobody, Jessica Tran. Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers when she stumbles upon the perfect (paid!) internship—only it turns out to be for the town’s most heinous supervillain.

 

 

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It’s got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream. There are some differences. This America been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not.

 

 

A Court of Lions by Somalia Daud

Two identical girls, one a princess, the other a rebel. Who will rule the empire? After being swept up into the brutal Vathek court, Amani, the ordinary girl forced to serve as the half-Vathek princess’s body double, has been forced into complete isolation.

 

 

Kings, Queens and In-betweens by Tanya Boteju

Macho drag kings, magical queens, new love interests, and surprising allies propel Nima both painfully and hilariously closer to a self she never knew she could be—one that can confidently express and accept love. But she’ll have to learn to accept lost love to get there.

 

 

This is What it Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow

It doesn’t matter what the prize for the Sun City Originals contest is this year. Who cares that’s it’s fifteen grand? Who cares about a gig opening for one of the greatest bands to ever play this town? Not Dia, that’s for sure. Because Dia knows that without a band, she hasn’t got a shot at winning Sun City. Because ever since Hanna’s drinking took over her life, Dia and Jules haven’t been in it. 

 

 

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo she can’t trust, but who may be Alex’s only chance at saving her family.

 

 

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells

Raised among the ruins of a conquered mountain nation, Maren dreams only of sharing a quiet life with her girlfriend Kaia—until the day Kaia is abducted by the Aurati, prophetic agents of the emperor, and forced to join their ranks.

 

 

The True Queen by Zen Cho

In the follow-up to the “delightful” Regency fantasy novel Sorcerer to the Crown, a young woman with no memories of her past finds herself embroiled in dangerous politics in England and the land of the fae.

 

 

Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Her sister’s bachelorette party is the highlight of a miserable year for Alexis Chambers, but once her bridesmaid’s dress is packed away, she’s back to coping with her life as a once popular athlete and violinist turned loner and the focus of her parents’ disappointment. She isn’t expecting much from her freshman year of college until she finds herself sharing a class with Treasure, the gorgeous stripper from her sister’s party.

 

 

Burning Roses by S. Huang

When Rosa and Hou Yi the Archer join forces to stop the deadly sunbirds from ravaging the countryside, their quest will take the two women, now blessed and burdened with the hindsight of middle age, into a reckoning of sacrifices made and mistakes mourned, of choices and family and the quest for immortality.

 

 

Mangos and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera

Kiskeya left the Dominican Republic with a lot to prove. As a pastry chef on the come up, when she arrives in Scotland, she has one goal in mind: win the Holiday Baking Challenge. Winning is her opportunity to prove to her family, former boss, and most importantly herself, that she can make it in the culinary world. Kiskeya will stop at nothing to win, that is, if she can keep her eyes on the prize and off her infuriating teammate’s perfect lips.

 

 

I’ll Be The One by Lyla Lee

The world of K-Pop has never met a star like this. Debut author Lyla Lee delivers a deliciously fun, thoughtful rom-com celebrating confidence and body positivity.

 

 

 

Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh

Candice Iloh’s book tells the story of Ada–daughter of an immigrant father and an African American mother–and her struggle to find a place for herself in America and in her own family.

 

 

In the Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard

In a ruined, devastated world, where the earth is poisoned and beings of nightmares roam the land… A woman, betrayed, terrified, sold into indenture to pay her village’s debts and struggling to survive in a spirit world. A dragon, among the last of her kind, cold and aloof but desperately trying to make a difference.

 

 

A Blade So Black by L. L. McKinney

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.

 

 

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat

A “provocative and seductive debut” of desire and doubleness that follows the life of a young Palestinian American woman caught between cultural, religious, and sexual identities as she endeavors to lead an authentic life.