When summer rolls around, you don't want to read anything too heavy. But you don't want garbage either. Here are our picks for the top lesbian books, nothing too heavy, nothing too shallow either. Enjoy!
1. Women Loving Women, by Jamye Waxman
This new book explores all things lesbian and bisexual, from coming out to getting down. Best of all, it feature some of the most beautiful, sensual photos in all of lesbiankind. It’s great, easy reading that’s also easy on the eyes.
2. Best Lesbian Erotica 2007, ed. Tristan Taormino
If you like your seaside reading a little on the spicy side, check out the latest anthology in this series. Famous lesbian erotica divas like Rachel Kramer Bussel and Radclyffe join new and promising authors.3. Baby Remember My Name, ed. Michelle Tea
Not strictly a lesbian book, this new anthology edited by celebrated dyke author Michelle Tea offers a sampling of 22 stories from the new generation of queer girls across the Kinsey scale.4. Jane’s World, by Paige Braddock
This seven-volume series of comic books traces the trials and tribulations of a close-knit group of lesbian friends and lovers. Addictive and hysterically funny at times, many of these tales of dyke drama feel creepily familiar.5. Odd Girl Out, by Ann Bannon
Nearly anything written by this queen of lesbian pulp is a guaranteed good time. Tame by today’s standards, this story of lesbian sorority girl love was downright scandalous when first published in the 1950s. It might not be Pulitzer-worthy literature, but it’s definitely lots of fun, as are Bannon’s other classics like Beebo Brinker and I Am a Woman.6. Tipping the Velvet, by Sarah Waters
Already a classic, Waters’ 2002 novel tells the tantalizing story of star-crossed Sapphic lovers in Victorian England, complete with drag kings, dildos and delicious sex scenes . Waters is one of the few lesbian authors of recent years to attract mainstream commercial and critical acclaim. Though Velvet’s my personal fave, her other works (Affinity, The Night Watch and Fingersmith) are all superb.7. Crashing America, by Katia Noyes
Noyes’ impressive debut novel is the coming of age story of 17-year-old Girl (the only name she goes by), who leaves her queer haven homeland of San Francisco to search for truth and meaning in the country’s heartland. Equally entertaining and poetic, Crashing America features a cast of vibrant and believable characters who will drive you to finish the book in days.8. Always, by Nicola Griffith
Rife with sex, drugs and hot lesbian cops Griffith’s third mystery-thriller manages to pack extra style and substance into a genre that tends to be a little love-it-or-hate-it. If you’re already a mystery fan, Always will likely become a new favorite; if you’re not, here’s a great place to start.9. Blind Curves, by Diane Anderson-Minshall and Jacob Anderson-Minshall
San Franciscans will especially love the Anderson-Minshalls’ debut novel, which uses the City by the Bay as much more than a backdrop, but a character in its own right. When journalist Velvet Erickson is accused of killing her ex-lover, she enlists the help of the Blind Eye Detective Agency. With rich characters and a delightful cliff-hanger ending, Blind Curves leaves readers hungry for the next installment in this new series.10. Lessons, by Kim Pritekel
Who can resist a hot tale of back-to-school romance? College freshman Chase Marin finds herself surprisingly reunited with her childhood crush—her former babysitter turned university T.A. If you’ve ever fallen in love with a teacher (and really, who hasn’t?) be sure to check this one out, and expect better-developed characters and more sophisticated writing than your typical lesbian romance novel.