Lesbian Book Reviews
Find your next favorite book or dive deeper into the themes and tropes of your latest read by exploring my many sapphic book reviews. I approach each analysis from a feminist and queer literary-critical lens (English Lit Grad, here), but present it in a digestible, easy-to-comprehend manner.
Out with the pretentious bullshit and in with the humor-filled, approachable critical analysis.
Home to lesbian, sapphic, and queer book reviews.
Horror
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Gothic
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Mystery
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Crime
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Thriller
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Horror ✳︎ Gothic ✳︎ Mystery ✳︎ Crime ✳︎ Thriller ✳︎
"The Starving Saints” Book Review
Sapphic Review Favorites
Supernatural Horror
Looking for a “fever dream” lesbian horror novel set in a medieval fantasy world? Touch of religious-driven cannibalism? Dive into this sapphic book review of “The Starving Saints” to find out if Caitlin Starling's novel is right for your TBR.
“Veal” Book Review
Campy, Comedic Horror
Craving sapphic yearning, a chosen queer family, and a battle against the monstrous patriarchy? Then dive into my sapphic book review of Mackenzie Nolan's debut novel, "Veal".
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“This Vicious Hunger” Book Review
Gothic Horror
If you have a hunger for sapphic longing, gothic horror, and cottage core wrapped up in a cozy dark academia blanket, then take a bite out of "This Vicious Hunger” by Francesca May.
Hi! I’m Tiff.
“The marketing for this novel repeatedly relies on the terminology of “fever dream”, and for once, the description might be a bit of an understatement. There are parts of "The Starving Saints” that feel like a mirror room in a fun house, where everything is distorted, and feels, well, wrong, making it hard to hold onto reality. Or, like experiencing one of those bizarre cartoons from the 1990s for the first time that we millennial children had no business watching, e.g., “Ren & Stimpy”.
Excerpt from "The Starving Saints" book review
Find a Sapphic or Lesbian Book Review
Looking for a bit of lesbian supernatural horror? A sapphic campy-yet-gory read? Or do you prefer feminist gothic horror? Maybe a look at the original Goosebumps book series from a modern, queer lens? Check, check, check, and check! I’ve got a book review for you.
FAQs About Lesbian Book Reviews at LitCobb
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Literary Cobblestones is a digital book publication catered to LGBTQ+ women and non-binary readers, featuring book reviews, literary essays, and creative collages that focus on sapphic and lesbian horror.
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Literary Cobblestones was founded by me, Tiffany R. Ragsdale, back in 2015. It started as a passion project after graduating from college, with the goal of helping me combine two of my favorite things—reading and writing—while learning how to implement SEO strategies. And it worked!
I’m still the sole creator behind the publication, and I relaunched the project in 2023 to move away from reading quotes and listicles, and instead, turn the focus to the niche area of sapphic and lesbian horror by producing book reviews, reading collages/moodboards, and literary essays.
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LitCobb focuses on horror and what I consider horror-adjacent genres, like mystery, thriller, and crime.
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I primarily focus on books that either feature lesbian or sapphic characters or are written by a LGBTQ+ woman or non-binary author.
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While there’s been some discourse around it, typically, “sapphic” is a broad term for the spectrum of women and non-binary people who are attracted to women or women-aligned queer people.
At Literary Cobblestones, I use “sapphic” as an umbrella term to ensure the inclusion of the broader queer community. While lesbian literature and authors are often at the forefront, I understand and value that queer experiences of attraction and identity don’t always fit neatly under one label.
LitCobb coverage includes lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, queer, and other sapphic voices, including trans women and non-binary people who are attracted to women and women-aligned individuals.
This is an inclusive space where all sapphics are welcome. <3
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Sapphic horror is a subgenre of horror literature that focuses on the experiences of lesbian and sapphic characters. There are a variety of categories covered, including folk horror, supernatural horror, gothic fiction, body horror, and speculative fiction.
Often, these works explore themes of sexuality, identity, and power through a feminist and queer lens.
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“Camilla” by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (published in 1872) was the first lesbian horror novel and was published a quarter century before “Dracula”. The gothic-fiction novella features a castle, an isolated woman, and a lesbian vampire.
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That’s entirely subjective and depends on your preferences! For me, campy horror is the best genre, and Patricia Wants to Cuddle is probably one of—if not the—best lesbian novel in that category.
