I’ve got some great news for you: sapphic (women who love women) erotica is fucking amazing. The only downside to reading sapphic erotica is that it takes a million years to find and it’s so much fun to read that you finish it in a day. As a patron of the high arts, I have made it my personal responsibility to bring you, dear reader, both the best of the best and the foundation of a good erotica bookshelf, from the very depths of my personal knowledge.
Hard Road, Easy Riding: Lesbian Biker Erotica Edited by Sacchi Green and Rakelle Valencia
Whether you’ve daydreamed about getting behind the handlebars, or of clinging to the sides of a leather clad lady. This anthology is the right one for you. In the words of the description: “What’s sexier than a hot woman, clad in form-fitting leather, fiercely in control of the Iron Horse between her legs?”
Green and Valencia have amazing taste, so this is a winner of a volume.
Femme Tales by Anne Shade
I love Femme Tales, it’s wholesome, it’s erotic, it’s a modern day fairytale trilogy! Feminist fairytale retellings about women who love women! There is something so hot about taking back oppressive, patriarchal mythos, and it makes it even hotter that it’s…you know, hot.
Also Anne Shade has a fancast for the characters on her Facebook…just in case you wanted that extra oomph for envisioning her characters.
GIRLS WHO SCORE Edited by Ily Goyanes
I am far from a jock myself, but have always appreciated a warrior woman. This edited volume has almost convinced me that maybe going to the gym could be fun? Honestly, if I had a trainer like Chevy, I would be a lot more fit than I currently am.
Ily Goyanes is a prolific editor as well, with an amazing bibliography of top notch erotica. This is a scorching hot addition to your shelf.
Rode Hard, Put Away Wet: Lesbian Cowboy Erotica Edited by Sacchi Green and Rakelle Valencia
This was nominated for a Lamda Literary Award in the Erotica category, so you don’t just have to take my word for it that this is totally worth placing on your bookshelf.
But come on, it’s cowgirls! The wild west isn’t just a place of subtext anymore, now we get to ride out loud and proud! I don’t know about you all, but I definitely have day dreamed about some of the exact scenarios found in this text.
Connie Wilkins is a pen name of Sacchi Green, just in case you found any listings confusing. There is also a sequel called Lesbian Cowboys: Erotic Adventures, just in case you can’t get enough.
Purple Panties Edited by Zane
Zane is an amazing author. Besides working in the industry, she also published her works online on eroticanoir.com (website appears to be down, fingers crossed it comes back up). She also has a podcast called Purple Panties which can be found on Stitcher.
How do I say this again without sounding redundant? I loved this and it’s amazing! I especially loved the element of risk that really came across with each story, from the woman who sees the love of her life (but she’s now married), discovering your sexuality, and of course, group sex.
Daughter of Darkness: Lesbian Vampires Tales Edited by Pam Keesey
Guys, guys, it’s Pam Keesey, the person who wrote an introduction to Carmilla. Not only that, but this volume has two-time Lambda Literary Award winner Jewelle Gomez, whose work The Gilda Stories is a staple in lesbian fiction. This text is a must-have for any shelf, even if aren’t particularly into erotica, you should still get it.
I love sapphic vampires, I adore them, I am always about two minutes away from dropping out of my graduate program, flying to Europe, and driving around haunted looking castles in a crappy car in the rain. Just for the chance to knock on the door of one of those said castles, and being told to “Come in my dear, you must be freezing.”
Witches, Princesses, and Women at Arms Edited by Sacchi Green
This book was the first ever lesbian erotica piece that I owned, and it has the most special place in my heart. Everything you could ever like about fantasy is in this text, and now with 200% more gay than ever before. There’s something truly wonderful about being able to have the familiar tropes of fantasy, only now, you don’t feel alienated by the heterosexual centering.
To Italy With Love by Fiona Zedde
Travel erotica! Each of our characters are taken from their comfort spaces and made to go across different physical and emotional spaces in order to truly find themselves.
Fluidity of spaces also gives us fluidity of gender expression, something which I am so excited to see in a sapphic piece.
Zedde is a treasure, and you need this on your shelf.
Where the Girls Are: Urban Lesbian Erotica Edited by D.L. King
D.L. King is another Lambda Literary award winner! So you know you’re getting quality selections with her work.
What makes this great is that this is 1) true stories, and 2) all stories of people making their way to queer-friendly cities. Which is genuinely just incredibly sweet? I’m just so proud of these lesbians from homophobic towns who get to get railed in safety. Good for them.
Unspeakably Erotic: Lesbian Kink Edited by D.L. King
There are certain foundations you need on your bookshelf. This is one of those foundations. Something about being totally closeted and only being able to explore my sexuality through books in my young adulthood makes me a total sap for this kind of text.
If you’re new to kink or even a veteran, pick this up! It’s not an instructional text, but it might light your imagination up!
