Recommending Sapphic Books Based Off of girl in red Songs!

Okay, so, if you did not know, girl in red is one of the most popular sapphic artists. She describes her songs as bedroom pop and they tend to deal with mental health or her sexuality. I, as you might have guessed, am completely in love with her and her music. Today, I am going to combine two of my favorite things and will be recommending books based off of girl in red songs. Let’s jump right in, shall we?

dead girl in the pool.

I can’t stop staring at my face
My summer tan has begun to fade
Is this real or is this fake?
A creepy dream I can’t escape

Far From You by Tess Sharpe

Far From You is about Sophie Winters as she comes back to her hometown from rehab where she will continue to recover from her addiction and try to uncover who murdered her best friend and bring her to justice.

This book is intense, if you couldn’t tell, which seems to match this song which. Plus, Sophie definitely feels disconnect in this book between what is really happening and what she thinks is happening.

This is the morning after
My mind is such a disaster
But there’s someone outside, that caught my eye

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen

Codi realizes the summer before her senior year that she has not had all of the typical teenage experiences as her peers. In order to rectify that, she makes friends with a boy hosting a party down the street from her and develops a crush on one of his friends.

I have really mixed opinions on this book, but I think that that is entirely just a me thing and that others will really enjoy it. Plus it has a really pretty cover and looks nice on my shelf, so it has that going for it.

girls

I’ve been hiding for so long
These feelings, they’re not gone
Could I tell anyone?
Afraid of what they’ll say

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

This Miseducation of Cameron Post follows Cameron as she comes of age in Montana. After losing her parents, Cameron has to deal with living with her very Christian conservative aunt. Once her sexuality is uncovered, she is sent to a conversion therapy school.

This is my favorite book of all time, so it couldn’t not be on here, but I feel like this song really fits Cam. Especially when it’s talking about guys being a waste of time and being scared to tell anyone about girls.

we fell in love in october

You look so pretty and I love this view
Don’t bother looking down
We’re not going that way
At least I know I am here to say

It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura

When Sana moves to California, she wonders if it is time to stop keeping so many things a secret. Like the fact that she knows her dad is likely having an affair, or the fact that she has had a crush on her best friends for years. When she meets Jaime, the urge to let some walls down only grows.

This song matches this book’s vibe more so than the actual lyrics. It is just so soft and sweet, much like Sana and Jaime’s relationship, especially the poetry swapping, which is the absolute cutest.

i’ll die anyway.

I think back to when
Life was good, I was content
But it’s been so many years
I can’t remember how it feels

Blackout by Kit Mallory

In a near future dystopian England, Skylar, Mackenzie, and Angel find themselves forming an unlikely team when they have to go on the run from local crime bosses and the corrupt government.

This is one of my new favorite duologies, and the whole “I’ll die anyway” refrain is basically what is going through all three main characters heads the entire novel. Also, the part about looking back to the past fits really well as well. Please read these books, they’re very good.

4 am

I’m thinking too much again
I can’t sleep, it’s 4am
I got to be in somewhere tomorrow
I don’t wanna go out tomorrow

10 Things I Can See From Here by Carrie Mac

Maeve has been struggling with severe anxiety for as long as she can remember, but it only gets worse when she has to go stay with her dad and his new family for six months. Between dealing with her own anxiety, a pregnant step mom, and a relapsing dad, she wonders if she’ll get through her time their in one piece.

First off, Maeve is one of the most relatable characters I’ve read, also secondly, this song quite literally fits this book perfectly.

say anything

I’ll stand outside your door
Play songs on the radio
Like say anything
Like in say anything

The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

Saoirse and Ruby decide to take their summer fling to the next level by recreating classic romcom cliche, from the rides on the ferris wheel, to frolicking through fields, and of course, the falling in love montage.

This may be the most exact match on this list because the song is about recreating rom coms and that is the exact premise of the book, so I will be taking no questions on this match. Also, please read this book because it is so good and made me cry.

i need to be alone.

I need to be alone
Or I’m gonna lose my shit
Oh oh, oh oh

The A to Z of Girlfriends by Natasha West

As Izzy Mortimer finds herself potentially getting left at the altar on her wedding day, she mentally goes through her many (failed) relationships that have lead to this moment, from a near engagement to a girl who was cheating on her, a disastrous college fling, and a girlfriend that just wasn’t the right match for her.

At certain points in this book Izzy is very overwhelmed and has to go calm down before she can think things through, hence the song match, but also this book is so good and I am loving the flashbacks and how they show character growth.

summer depression

Summer depression
There’s so much time to question my life
Summer depression
It’s my summer depression

Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert

When Suzette comes home from boarding school, she has to figure out how to reconnect with her brother, who is struggling with bipolar disorder, and her old friends. She also has to figure out what to do about the girl she left behind at school and the new girl who keeps appearing.

Little and Lion deals heavily with mental illness, which is pretty much the only reason I matched these two for recommendations, but I really loved this book and how it talked about doctors and medicine and everything, it was really good.

midnight love

I can’t be your midnight love
Oh, oh, oh
When your silver is my gold
Oh, oh, oh
In this light, I swear I’m blind
Oh, oh, oh
In this light, I swear you’re mine

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Lei unexpectedly finds herself at the palace as a coveted paper girl, a role she utterly despises. However, the longer she stays, the more she finds herself draw to Wren, a fellow paper girl, and somehow finds herself in the middle of a rebellion.

So this song doesn’t completely fit this book, but I chose it because of the whole idea of a midnight love. Lei and Wren cannot do anything during the day, but at night they fall into each other’s arms.

 

i wanna be your girlfriend

I don’t wanna be your friend
I wanna kiss your lips
I wanna kiss you until I lose my breath

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Liz Lighty finds herself running for prom queen in order to get the scholarship money she needs to go to her dream school, her mother’s alma mater. Her plan gets derailed by a fellow competitor named Mack.

So once again, this isn’t a complete and total match, but I mainly chose it because this song and this book are just really sweet and wholesome. I love this book so much, that town reminded me so much of my own and Liz is a fantastic main character.

bad idea

It was a bad idea
Calling you up
Was such a bad idea
I’m totally fucked

Colorblind by Siera Maley

Harper can see the ages that people die on their foreheads, so when she meets Chloe, whose number says will not make it through the summer, she should know to stay away. She doesn’t.

So, for this match, Harper knows that falling in love with Chloe was a bad idea, but she does it anyways. This book is so sweet and wholesome and summery, I love it to pieces. Also, despite it’s somewhat dark premise, it isn’t a dark or sad book by any means.

forget her

She stole my heart and ran away
Left me with some things to say
I don’t understand

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole

This is a second chance romance where Likotsi and Fabiola find themselves meeting again on a subway by accident, after they had swiped right on a dating app and had a magical whirlwind evening. Can they get past their grievances from the first time and make it work this time?

A second chance romance seems perfect for this song, since both Likotsi and Fabiola spend the beginning of the novella thinking about each other and what could have been. This novella is really short and sweet, I would highly recommend it.

 

Okay, so, I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really liked having an excuse to listen to girl in red for hours on in to “prepare” for this post. What about you, what’s your favorite girl in red song? Have you read any of these books? Let’s chat in the comments!