Recs if you like Catherine House...

in progress

Basically, a huge list of every book I ever heard features sapphic characters.

I have not read all of these, so I cannot be sure of the amount of the time on page of the sapphic characters or of the quality of the books.

Some of these I do not plan to read at all, since they are not my style. If you feel like a book doesn't belong here, let me know.

For my favs / read, check out my other lists & shelves.

Open to suggestions for more titles.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Books where cults are a significant part of the narrative. Some fiction, some non-fiction.

dark academia books with queer and trans MCs

Books that are atmospheric, emotionally unsettling, beautifully written, a little weird, and linger long after you finish them.

We all love gothic classics, but what is new when it comes to the gothic genre (from the last 20 years or so)?! For fans of Dracula, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, etc. Please comment with suggestions to add!

When the pursuit of knowledge crosses the line into moral depravity.

This includes book that have either mystery or thrillers as a primary or secondary genre. If you have recommendations to add please comment and I'll happily add them 💕

Dark academia without the magic!

For books filled with elite schools, universities, intellectual obsession, artistic ambition, secrets, rivalry, murder and beautifully dark atmospheres - with little to no fantasy or supernatural elements, and no YA.

i want to read more dark academia books by authors who write about poc, queer, disabled characters

true dark academia that ranges from fantastical/supernatural to psychological literary fiction

Notes in the margins are a must. — Me, a neurotic literature degree holder

All the books chosen by Booksandlala for the Literally Dead Book club.

Forget everything you know about the golden hour. In these halls, knowledge isn't just power—it's a blood sacrifice, a cursed bargain, or a secret that could tear the stars from the sky. Whether you're navigating the lethal corridors of the Scholomance, deciphering the forbidden linguistics of Oxford’s silver-working, or joining a secret society at Yale that deals in the ghosts of the past, this list is for the scholars who prefer their ink black and their magic dangerous.

Inspired by Autostraddle's Queer Books Across America list

cause it’s always september in my heart📖

Dark academia that isn't The Secret History

Gothic books written by Black authors, compiled by Amelie West! Please lmk if you have suggestions :)

the dark academia novels i've read. complex characters in an academic setting.