Books by LBGTQIA+ Authors

She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders, by Jennifer Finley Boylan 

I’ve read a number of books by trans authors, and this was not the best one but it was one of the earlier ones. Boylan wrote this book several years ago and reissued it on the 10^th anniversary with new content. Overall, it was a good book and no doubt helpful when it was first published…but I found it lacking. 

 

Very little was shared about her inner life and struggles. As she is an east coast academic, the book was full of academic references and name dropping (and her constant references to “Russo”)…and at times I thought she just needed a good editor. The most memorable thing about this book was the extreme unhappiness between her and her wife. They claim they are happily married, but Boylan’s wife does not even use the word “wife” about her partner…and they have a sexless relationship. It just seems terribly sad all around.

 

Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman, by Abby Stein 

Fascinating memoir about a woman who was raised to become a rabbi; she was descended from generations of rabbinical tradition. She left the Orthodox Jewish community, where men thank God each day for not being born a woman…and then she transitioned into becoming a woman. Pivotal in her coming out was seeing her baby boy get circumcised. A lot got left out in the telling…the book races to the end and we don’t really know what kind of relationships she has now with her family, especially her son and ex-wife.

 

Playing with Myself, by Randy Rainbow 

I was an early convert to Randy Rainbow. I started watching his videos before the fateful 2016 election. We attended his show several years ago when he toured to Portland. He’s a delight! So it was great fun to read his memoir.

 

And yes, Randy Rainbow is his real name.

 

Me, by Elton John 

I happened across this book in a Little Free Library and it was the perfect vacation read! I got my first Elton John album from my boyfriend in junior high. I’d also loved “Rocket Man,” which is based on this book. It doesn’t fail to entertain, and I learned a ton of new things about Elton John as well. Good fun amidst the heartbreak.

Recent great fiction by Black authors

 I've been neglecting my book reviews so I'm terribly behind! Here's my first brain dump of reviews!

Lakewood by Megan Giddings

Lakewood was a chilling read. It helps to have background knowledge about the ways white people have conducted medical experiments on Black people and have just generally treated them like nonhumans. For example, the Henrietta Lacks cell line or the syphillis study at the Tuskegee Institute. Read here for more historical background: https://blog.primr.org/medical-mistrust-and-the-historic-role-of-sickle-cell-testing-in-the-african-american-community/

Giddings builds off this history with her story of Lena Johnson, who agrees to be part of a mysterious study for the promise of the money her family desperately needs. It is creepy and disturbing, but lacks a satisfying conclusion at the end...probably on purpose.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

I'm not usually drawn to short stories. I prefer novels where I can really sink into the characters and the story. Girl, Woman, Other felt like a series of interconnected short stories about the lives of various British Black women. Some of the stories drew me in more than others, but overall it was a beautiful book. My only regret was not taking notes about each woman throughout the book...because I couldn't always remember who they were when they popped up again! Evaristo is a gifted, adventurous writer...this book did not follow typical grammatical practice, so that took a bit of getting used to. But so much of this novel will stay with me.

I read Embers on the Wind not long after Girl, Woman, Other, and at times I was actually confusing myself!! Both novels were created with interlocking short stories. Most of the characters were connected to someone else in the novel, but each had her own story. Once again I regretted not taking notes and writing down names because at times it got confusing when a new character was introduced!

With that said, I highly recommend this novel if you're comfortable with ghost stories and reading about trauma. It delves deeply into generational racial trauma, and Rosenberg does a beautiful job weaving together the stories of the runaways with Black, white, and biracial people today. Wonderful book...although I definitely want to read some chronological novels after the last two...where I can keep better track of all the characters!