Me Time
Beyond the US: Three International Sapphic Books I Loved and Recommend
It's a kind of liminal time, these last few weeks of August before the beginning of September, which marks so many peoples' beginnings. My many vacation travels are over and I'm home catching up on all sorts of projects and enjoying time with my wife before she goes back to work.
And there's been lots of time for reading. Here are 3 sapphic books by non-US authors that I loved:
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth: The book begins in 1989 in a small, rural community in Ireland. Lucy, the sole narrator of the book, is 17 and is part of a group of girlfriends, but her best friend is Martin, the boy next door, who everyone thinks should be her boyfriend. Except slowly, Lucy realizes she is attracted to her close friend, Susannah, and spends a long time coming to terms with that before she and Susannah begin a relationship in secret. As they near the end of high school, Susannah wants to come out and publicly acknowledge their relationship, but Lucy is too tied to her family, especially her mother, and her friends to risk anything. This is a beautifully written and heartbreaking coming of age novel. The author presents Lucy's inner dilemmas and decisions realistically, even when we are frustrated with her. The author's portrayal of the town, the teens, and mother-daughter relationships is complex and detailed.
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden: In 1961 Netherlands, Isabel lives alone in the house where she grew up. She's repressed and possessive of the house and all its contents, always worried someone is stealing. When her brother leaves for a work assignment in Paris, his girlfriend, Eva, comes to stay with Isabel, much to her annoyance. Isabel doesn't make it easy for Eva, but eventually things change. And then, objects in the house keep disappearing. This is a beautifully written and incredibly well plotted book. Its quiet tone is deceptive since it contains so much. Isabel is a difficult main character since she is so unlikeable, but the author writes her so well that we can't help but appreciate her with all her faults. I won't reveal the major plot twist but it's not one you see coming until it's almost upon you. And then it all makes sense.
Only Ever One Choice by Ilham Asra: Makaila has spoken with and come out to two of the three women she later realized she had loved when she was in school. The third woman is Ashleigh, who asks to meet in person. where they both live in Cape Town, South Africa. After Makaila comes out to Ashleigh, they replay their last meeting years ago when Ashleigh asked if Makaila wanted to kiss her. And this time she does. This begins the rekindling of their more than friendship relationship. But there are many obstacles, including Makaila's family's expectations, Makaila's Muslim beliefs, Makaila's future plans, and Ashleigh's on hold relationship with her last boyfriend. This well written book is more than a romance. It's a love story, told in great detail, with most scenes including just these two MCs, but told from Makaila's POV. It's beautifully written and a great portrait of how faith and family present obstacles to coming out publicly and being with the person you love.
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
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Because readers are focused on what’s happening from one scene to the next, it can appear that conflict is only occurring moment to moment. It’s actually present at different levels in the story, not just at the scene level. Understanding the levels of conflict and how various challenges will interact is key to building a rich, powerful story
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The implication is that human writers should avoid em dashes for fear of being mistaken for chatbots. No. Wrong. I am here to raze this implication to the very ground and salt the earth where it stood.
The Writer Unboxed UnConference, 2025
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And for people who still wonder whether they can read a romance with orcs, Guanzon has this advice: “Just embrace the tusks.”
News For A Challenging Time
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Meanwhile, the resistance appears to be spreading across the state.
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Culture and Joy
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A Terrific Quote
Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes
Take forgiveness slowly. Don't blame yourself for being slow. Peace will come.