An IPad is a great way to keep up with everything current. It makes reading the news, checking your Facebook and reading the literary greats a breeze. It is also a great way to stay culturally aware. There is such a growing gay community that it is easy to get lost in the world of blogs, news stories and advice columns and while there are some really great writers out that that the gay community can relate to, such as Dan Savage and Dave Sedaris, there are several ‘classics’ that should definitely not be missed either. An IPad makes reading these greats easy and accessible. Below you will find a list of the 10 classic books that every lesbian should download on their IPad.
1. Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
This 1973 novel really broke ground in the gay and lesbian world. It tells of a lesbian love story and incorporates humor and an “everydyke” quality. It was one of the first novels of its kind to blatantly address lesbianism.
2. Fingersmith by Sarah Walters
This 1980 novel has so many plot twist in this historical fiction you won’t be able to put it down. It has been compared to the writing styles of Charles Dickens only with erotic lesbian sex scenes and a sweat shop pumping out pornographic texts.
3. Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller
This novel written in 1969 is a historical novel and explores issues like a young women’s first foray into lesbian sex, cross dressing and leaving home to find herself.
4. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg
If you have ever seen the more you probably would have no idea about the lesbian relationship between the 2 main characters of the movie. Reading it, you have no choice but to notice with all the seduction, love making and food fights.
5. Crybaby Butch by Judith Frank
This is a newer novel written 2004 and tells the story of 2 parallel lives of butch women that have crossed each other’s path. The story is beautifully written and the characters are strong and compelling.
6. Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
This story is a little more traditional and is an autobiographical novel. It was the breakout book of its genre and revealed the secretes of the butch culture before it became socially acceptable.
7. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
This 1981 novel depicts the Biblical analogies and accuses religion, convservative culture and has a way of leaving writers baffled from reading this semi-autobiographical novel.
8. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
This 1982 novel has been required reading for many high schools. It is not directly about lesbianism but rather suggested sexual sparks between Shug and Celie. Walker’s writing style is engaging and thought provoking and after reading this book it is easy to see why it has been so well loved by people of all sexualities and generations.
9. Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
Dorothy Allison is a lesbian writer who has created a memorable character in Bone. The book tells the good, bad and ugly of the deep South and the choices that are made in order to be who they are and also save themselves.
10. Crocodile Soup by Julia Darling
This is a modern novel set in England where Darling gives us a look into the life of Gert, who after mending a broken heart is ready for love again. It has a dark sense of humor and has a cast of oddballs that make it so enjoyable and intriguing.