Jae

Sapphic Slow-burn romances

queer books

neurodiverse character

Neurodiverse characters (Sapphic Reading Challenge #12)

Today’s category–sapphic books about neurodiverse characters–might as well be one of the Book Unicorn categories because there still aren’t that many.

In case you aren’t familiar with the term: a neurodiverse person (also called neurodivergent or neuroatypical) is someone whose brain works differently compared to neurotypical people. They might be on the autistic spectrum, have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), dyslexia, dyspraxia, or Tourette Syndrome.

lesbian book character over 40

WLW / lesbian book with a main character over 40 (Book Unicorn post #3)

In WLW and lesbian fiction, especially in romance, most of the protagonists seem to be in their 20s and 30s. But there’s life–and love–in your fourties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and beyond! So for the third Book Unicorn category, I’d like you to read a book in which at least one of the main characters is over 40.

It could be an age gap romance, in which the other main character is considerably younger, or all of the protagonists could be over 40. I’ll leave that choice up to you, as long as at least one of the main characters is 40 or older.

lesbian speculative fiction

WLW & lesbian speculative fiction (Sapphic Reading Challenge #10)

The 10th category of the Sapphic Reading Challenge is a long post because it covers WLW & lesbian speculative fiction. Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for books with strong fantastical, supernatural, or futuristic elements. That includes subgenres such as WLW & lesbian fantasy, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, science fiction, superheroine books, and science fiction.

character with a disability or mental illness

Character with a disability or mental illness (Sapphic Reading Challenge #7)

Category #7 of the Sapphic Reading Challenge features another group of people that is definitely underrepresented in WLW & lesbian fiction: characters who have a disability.

It can be a book about a character with a physical disability, a chronic illness, or a mental disorder. When you pick the book you’re going to read, don’t forget that some disabilities are invisible or less apparent, for example, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, and mental illnesses.