#the pros of cons by Alison cherry Lindsay ribs and Michelle schusterman

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there are very few wlw book rec lists on this site so i’m making one myself goddammit

anyway here are some wlw books i enjoy that you should read bc i’m wlw and i told you to. i tried to make it as concise as possible. each title has a link that leads to a site where you can buy the book online + look at the cover.

we are okay by nina lacour genre: realistic fiction, coming of age summary: marin's the only one left on her college campus during winter break, because marin's the only one who feels she has no home to go back to. between whatever happened with her grandfather and whatever happened between her and her... friend (is that what hannah is to her, anymore?) she'd rather just wait out the snowstorms on her own. but then hannah comes to visit her, and she's forced to figure things out for herself. why you should read it: wlw character whose story arc doesn’t revolve around being wlw but rather growing up and dealing with the death of a family member which is honestly really refreshing, some nice early college vibes i really like, generally just a nice fresh story. writing style is *chef’s kiss* content warnings: none.

the miseducation of cameron post by emily m. danforth genre: realistic fiction, coming of age summary: a book about the life of cameron post, starting with the first time she kisses a girl and following her through the premature death of her parents, summer swim meets, learning about what it means to be lesbian, getting outed and shipped off to conversion camp, and eventually straight up running away. why you should read it: written in a way that makes it easy to read, character voice is clear and fun, cameron is just incredibly relatable and i love her so much oh my god. the ending is so good its all so good i am literally begging you to read this book. content warnings: homophobia, internalized homophobia, parents who aren’t accepting, somewhat in-depth descriptions of conversion camp and mild conversion therapy, referenced recreational drug use, self harm and suicide of minor minor character but still potentially triggering. 

the pros of cons by alison cherry, lindsay ribar, and michelle schusterman genre: realistic fiction, humor summary: three girls enter three conventions going on in the same convention center; vanessa's there for the fandom con. pheobe's a percussionist on a school field trip to a band competition. callie's tagging along to her dad's taxedermy convention. naturally, the three meet, and shenanigans ensue. why you should read it: teenage lesbian character who is openly and comfortably lesbian and its a part of her identity and she’s chill with it?? yes!!! she has a crush on a nonbinary character??? double yes!!!! also generally a very funny book, and all the protagonists are wonderful. warnings: none.

laura dean keeps breaking up with me by mariko tamaki genre: realistic fiction summary: freddy can't figure out what's up with her... friend? girlfriend? laura dean. too focused on her own problems, she starts to distance herself from her friends and more important parts of her life. a beautifully drawn (this one's a graphic novel!) coming of age story. why you should read it: graphic novel so its a quick read, the art is stunning, the secondary characters are complex and have their own arcs and are a wonderful supporting cast, also we have yet another teen lesbian character who is comfortable with her identity and i love to see it. warnings: teen pregnancy mention and underage sex mention (between an adult and an older teenager)

wilder girls by rory power genre: horror summary: when the horrible virus called the tox first started infecting the girls at raxter boarding school, the government swore to help them. it’s been over a year now, and no cure has arrived. as more and more girls pass away with each passing day, hetty and her friends, reese and byatt, are determined to make it out alive. why you should read it: holy shit okay in general this is just so well written and compelling and the characters are strong and we got casually queer characters and yeah it’s great. don’t read if you want a happy ending, though. warnings: mild body horror and mild gore

keeping you a secret by julie anne peters genre: realistic fiction, romance summary: early 2000s lesbians baby!!! plus annoying stepsiblings who actually end up being pretty cool, dumping your douchebag boyfriend, and that spicy side dish of questioning your sexuality because the new girl at school? hot as fuck. why you should read it: if you want to read abt a protagonist having Feelings abt a girl for the first time and combating internalized homophobia, this is your book. if you don’t want bittersweet endings that aren’t exactly what you’d call ‘feel good’ i’d recommend you move on. an easy read (i tore through it in a day). warnings: homophobia, internalized homophobia, parents who aren’t accepting.

on a sunbeam by tillie walden genre: science fiction, adventure, romance summary: a ship floating through space, its crew’s job to restore old buildings among the stars. two girls at a boarding school, falling in love amidst the trials of academic life. slowly the two plotlines intertwine, intersect, become one. why you should read it: graphic novel and the art is so fucking stunning i can stare at it for hours, there are literally no men in the whole book just women and nonbinary characters and its never explained they just don’t exist in this world, science fiction but its written like fantasy, this whole book is just so fucking cool oh my god, also its free online bc it was originally a webcomic so uh you can read it here if you’re broke like me. warnings: none.

the difference between you and me by madeleine george genre: romance, realistic fiction summary: jesse is the founding (and only) member of the national organization to liberate all weirdos. emily’s the vice president of the student council... and she has a boyfriend. what happens as the two accidentally fall into an affair? why you should read it: it’s a quick read that keeps you on the edge of your seat a surprising amount for a realistic fiction teen romance type book, there is pining and it’s great, in general fun if you like the whole star crossed lovers type thing. plus we got some wlw’s being friends with each other which is refreshing! no forced romance between wlw characters. warnings: internalized homophobia star-crossed by barbara dee genre: realistic fiction summary: when twelve-year-old mattie signs up for the school production of romeo and juliet, she expects to have some fun with her friends and learn a bit about acting. what she doesn’t prepare for is falling for gemma, the funny, smart, and beautiful girl the director’s cast as juliet. mattie’s never had feelings for a girl before; between balancing her theatre and her new crush, she’s in for quite the school year. why you should read it: written at the middle grade reading level so it’s easy to get through. also no internalized homophobia from wlw protagonist which is wonderful! there tends to be a lot of that in these types of books but in this one it’s more of a quick thought of “huh i’ve never had a crush on a girl before” and then “is this normal?” and then “bah i don’t care she’s fucking pretty” and honestly? same.  warnings: none. princess princess ever after by katie o’neill genre: fantasy summary: they’re two princesses and they’re in love and it’s a short graphic novel what more do you need.  why you should read it: they’re two princesses and they’re in love and it’s a short graphic novel what more do you need. warnings: none.

disclaimer: this list is obviously limited as it is contained to only books that i’ve read and that i was thinking abt at the time i made this post. fellow wlw’s please feel free to add on, but if you do i’d love it if you could add a short summary and any content warnings that might apply (as opposed to just saying a title and the rep in it).