Recs if you like Biography of X...

Books that play with the "book" as a medium or are otherwise self-reflexive/meta.

My current criteria for this list are (1) does the book highlight its own textuality consistently or (2) do the metafictional elements add significantly to the themes explored or (3) does the book's use of discourse and form (e.g., narrative situation, layout) significantly differ from the norm?

Make sure to comment your suggestions with a small explanation even if you're not 100 % sure if they fit!

Books recommended by musician Lucy Dacus, a solo artist and member of the band boygenius. Pulled from her goodreads list.

The only queer & GNC lists/quests I’ve seen have been genre. I love them, but I wanted to also curate a list of literary fiction with LGBTQIA+ characters and themes!

Fictional books where the author uses footnotes or excerpts to build out the world they’ve created.

Another collection of sapphic books that are tagged as horror, thriller, or mystery on Goodreads that I hope to one day read a few of.

Focused on stories with beautiful prose, depth, and explore the intricate realities of the LGBTQ+ experience. Sub-genres could range from historical, contemporary, science fiction, magical realism, and classics (even romance!).

I will continue to update this, so comment if you have more!

a diverse selection of alternate history novels & stories (that aren’t just about WW2/nazism)

works that look at the life and legacy of ‘great’ fictional artists. recommendations welcome!

Books on my TBR with LGBTQIA+ characters or themes.

When you want to read something a step above trash

All books include main characters that are sapphic. This includes trans and non-binary lesbians

For those of you who subscribe to newlynova on either YouTube or TikTok, I have compiled a list of books that she has mentioned in her videos

fiction books about art and artists that are inspired by the works of performance artist marina abramović. some of these novels state their inspiration explicitly, whereas some conceal it a little more.

hope you enjoy!

Books with characters that run away / leave their old lives behind as a part of the plot (either temporarily or not)

(not genre specific and happy to take requests!) TW! (please check tws before reading some!)

Intertextuality in Many Forms

A book club where storytelling is at it’s heart. To feel for characters in stories as we might for ourselves or our friends.

This is the list from The Atlantic. "In 1868, a little-known writer by the name of John William DeForest proposed a new type of literature, a collective artistic project for a nation just emerging from an existential conflict: a work of fiction that accomplished “the task of painting the American soul.” It would be called the Great American Novel, and no one had written it yet, DeForest admitted. Maybe soon."