Bimonthly Sapphic Book Club: Upright Women Wanted - Sarah Gailey
Details
As they say, ya need to read more books (as a writer) to grow as a writer!
This will be a bimonthly reoccurring Sapphic Book Club.
This bookclub is to encourage Sapphic Writers to take some time out of their busy schedule and dedicate some time to read as a writer and to also diversify their reading.
- Location: Atlanta, GA - As always, to support venue, feel free to purchase a beverage or food!
- When: September 12th, 2026 - Saturday at 11am-1PM.
- Book: Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
- We encourage purchasing at a local ATL bookstore (if they have it): Charis Books & More, Bookish ATL, the Lavender Bookshop, or even the library!
BLURB:
“That girl’s got more wrong notions than a barn owl’s got mean looks.”
Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her—a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda.
The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing. They'll bring the fight to you.
In Upright Women Wanted, award-winning author Sarah Gailey reinvents the pulp Western with an explicitly antifascist, near-future story of queer identity.
Keep in mind, reading can be so subjective! So while reading, keep some of these questions in mind:
- Notice how the author hooks you at the start of a chapter and leaves you wanting more at the end (If not, how do you think they could have done so).
- Notice the POV and tense choice, and why do you think they went with that choice? Or why do you think they should've down differently?
- Annotate or write down new ways to show vs tell - ways the author was creative in showing (or where they could have done better in your opinion)
- Write down when the book evoked emotions for you and how it hit those emotional beats and how the author did well in doing so (or where they could have done better).
- Identify where scenes moved quickly and or didn't and how it benefitted the story or how it did not benefit the story.
- Track how characters change over or time (or don't) and analyze how that impacts the story.
- Examine the sentence structure or dialog tags.
- Does the Author use sensory details? Identify how they use sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch to build the world, make it feel real, and ground the reader.
- Identify the stakes and motivations of the main character.
- What did you learn from this Book/Author (to do or not to do).
- What would you rate this book via a Writer's lens in stars?
- What would you rate this book via Reader's lens in stars?
Feel free to Copy and Paste these questions on a document to write your notes, or annotate the book - and to share at the meetup :) Or just show up and share your thoughts (even if you DNF'd).
We will do a random selection from RSVP'd Member's book requests. Can be any genre. Reminder, books must be sapphic written by sapphics. We are open to Self-published and Traditionally published books.
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A space for Sapphic Creatives to hone their craft and build community and socialize in Metro ATL.
Have you been wanting to get back into writing? Looking for a sapphic writing community? Join our events to get inspired with our writing prompts, body doubling takeovers, and Bimonthly Bookclub!
Our aim is to create a safe space for sapphic people to foster creativity, encourage self-expression, and a sense of community.
No prior writing experience is necessary – all skill levels are welcome.
Registration/RSVP is required to attend Writing Sapphic - ATL events.
Organized by Ferni Maravilla